A Paradigm for Baccalaureate Public Health Nursing Education

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Abstract
A national study was conducted to determine what constitutes baccalaureate public health nursing education. The primary focus of this article is the essential concepts in the education of public health nursing. The assumption was that an ideal curriculum represents a knowledge base that is acceptable to members of the profession based on an accepted paradigm. Data were collected using a mailed questionnaire distributed to all National League for Nursing‐accredited baccalaureate programs and completed by the person responsible for the public health nursing curriculum. The questionnaire obtained information related to theory and practice objectives. A response rate of 82 percent (N= 275) was obtained after follow‐up mailings and telephone calls. Content analysis of responses allowed us to identify 11 concept areas considered essential and receiving great or some emphasis by more than 90 percent of the respondents. There seems to be consensus that the concepts of family‐centered care, health maintenance/promotion, community, levels of prevention, holism, continuity of care, epidemiology, self‐care, population‐based care, and home health care constitute the theoretical base of public health nursing education. These results were compared with results offered by the Consensus Conference report. Public health nursing educators are encouraged to continue to define what constitutes baccalaureate preparation for public health nursing.

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