Public Health Nursing Program

Welcome to the Public Health Nursing (PHN) Program

Maine State Public Health Nurses are registered professional nurses, working to improve, preserve, and protect the health and quality of life for all Maine citizens. Using nursing theory, research, and practice to assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate, Public Health Nurses continually interact with the individual, the population, the culture and society. ( from Brochure; State of Maine Public Health Nursing Conceptual Model ).

Program Vision and Mission

Public Health Nurses are leaders in assuring excellence in health. The Public Health Nursing mission is to provide expertise and leadership to improve the health of populations. The PHN Program accomplishes this by the following activities:

  • Conducting standardized community assessments
  • Case Finding for the purpose of locating individuals and families with identified risk factors, diseases, conditions, disorders, and connecting them with resources
  • Participating in research as an independent PHN project or in cooperation with ME CDC or other state programs, with local community initiatives, or with other professional initiatives.
  • Contributing to the ongoing nursing research, review, and revision of the Omaha System
  • Coordinating quality, affordable, and accessible resources for individual, families and communities
  • Advocating for community based initiatives
  • Advocating for a safe and healthy environment
  • Preventing and controlling epidemics
  • Promoting healthy lifestyles
  • Evaluating outcomes of public health services
  • Participating in public health emergency preparedness activities
  • Providing culturally appropriate health care services

(from Quality Improvement Plan Year 2006)

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