Help!!!

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Can someone explain to me what the difference is between public health nursing and community health nursing... and community-based nursing? It seems so simple but, I'm completely lost!

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Same thing.

There, that was easy.

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Yeah that doesn't help me in nursing school thanks anyways.

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

Use the definitions in your textbook. Definitions vary.

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I read them and I just confuse myself even more every time I think I understand if I get confused all over again lol! Thank you. Hopefully if I stop looking at it tonight and pick up tomorrow I'll understand it better!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

When it comes to common usage, "Public Health" often refers to larger scale initiatives & information associated with a governmental agency. For instance, public health nurses may work with TB prevention, migrant health clinics, teen pregnancy, etc. OTOH, Community health frequently refers to actually delivering/providing patient-centric health care in the home or other non-traditional setting, such as Parish Nursing, Home Care or in-home Hospice.

Just my $0.02.

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^^ Interesting. Around here, the terms are completely interchangeable.

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Specializes in PICU.

The way I have seen it is:

Public Health - more global perspective, anything that can affect the general public. Think large programs, TB prevention, Malaria, could be something large scale for a specific area, child abuse prevention.

Community Health Nursing - direct care given at the community level. Can be carrying our local projects but at a local level.

Community based Nursing - care in the community, home health visits, parish nursing, care that is given outside a hospital type setting.

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