Public health nurses have special expertise in working with vulnerable populations. Our voices are an invaluable addition to any table where healthcare decisions are being made. Getting Certified in Public Health (CPH) lends credibility to the unique knowledge you bring to the table as a public health nurse. This certification, through the National Board of Public Health Examiners, distinguishes you as a public health professional. Staying current on best practices and education, meeting and maintaining a national standard of professional practice and increasing the visibility of the profession of public health as well as public health itself are just a few of the benefits of being CPH certified.
Three public health nurse leaders in North Carolina have made it their 2021 resolution to get CPH certified for the first time. In preparing to sit for the exam, we are sharing our journey with all public health nurses. Our blog provides in-depth content reviews and study tips for each of the domains the CPH exam tests. Our goal is to support one another, and all PHNs, who want to advance their practice by becoming CPH certified. As we move through 2021, we’ll touch on each of the CPH content areas as we also test our own knowledge of public health. We want to encourage YOU to think about getting certified, too. Please follow us on our blog (you can even subscribe to email updates!): https://ncphncph.wordpress.com/
If you are interested in learning more about the CPH exam, including eligibility, you should navigate to the NBPHE website.
Happy studies!
-Dr. Jaimee Lee Watts-Isley, University of North Carolina School of Nursing
-Dr. Stephanie Fisher, North Carolina Division of Public Health & University of North Carolina School of Nursing
-Dr. Lindsay Novacek, Forsyth County Department of Public Health
2 thoughts on “Public Health Nurses Journey to Certification in 2021”
This is wonderful, and at the same time I think we need to get the nursing certification back again!
I agree Lynn! I think we need to get the PHNA certification back. However, the content area of the CPH has some direct linkages to the competencies for all levels of public health nurses. Even though we can no longer certify as a PHNA, CPH certification is still a step in the right direction.