One of the top certifications for public health professionals is the Certified in Public Health (CPH) certification from the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). You’ll need a combination of education and experience to qualify to sit for the exam.¹

You may not need to be certified to earn every type of job in public health nursing. However, CPH certification can separate your resume from the rest, and shows employers you’ve got the knowledge, skills, and experience to excel in the position.

1. You must meet specific eligibility criteria to sit for the CPH exam. The Herzing University MSN program in Public Health is not accredited by CEPH.

Public health nurse refers to a broad category of different types of nurses focused heavily on education and illness prevention. Common types of community and public health nurses include school nurse, maternal and child health nurse, occupational health nurse, and case management nurse.

PHNs with advanced education and experience can qualify to become a consultant or lead a team as a director or manager of a team of nurses.

A Public Health Nurse (PHN) can work in a variety of community-based roles. They assess, evaluate, and implement interventions to improve health systems and policies. Their work can involve smaller communities or larger public and global patient populations.

Some job responsibilities can include health education, case management, program planning, policy development, epidemiology and disease prevention, and much more.

Learn more about what public health nurses do, including examples of the different kinds of work you can do and the skills required for success in the field.

Salaries in the public health nursing specialty can vary widely depending on your education, experience, and state of employment.

In the case of your first entry-level nursing job in public health, you may not be required to advance your education to the master’s level to qualify. Registered nurses across all specialties earn an average salary of $89,010 per year ($42.80 per hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).*

Earning a master’s degree can help you qualify for upper-level managerial and leadership positions in public health nursing. The BLS reports the average salary for medical and health service managers is $127,980 per year ($61.53 per hour).*

“Public” and “community” nursing are terms often used interchangeably—but they aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Community health nurses typically work directly with individuals, families, and groups to achieve better health outcomes.

Public health nurses usually take a broader approach to patient populations. They focus on advocating for change in systems, reforming policy, and health promotion.

In general—community health nurses directly help people make the best use of the systems in place, while public health nurses focus on improving those systems.

Of course, there are several factors behind why jobs are named the way they are. When you start looking for jobs in public health or community health nursing, be sure to thoroughly read through the job description to determine if it’s the right kind of role for your skillset and preferences.

No, we do not offer any “accelerated” programs at these degree levels. However, you can potentially transfer prior college credit earned to shorten how long these programs take to complete.

No, we do not currently offer any single-program offerings labeled as “dual degree.”  However, you can potentially combine multiple focus areas and degree levels to create pathways that make the most sense for your career goals.

Students who wish to complete two or more degrees at the same degree level (i.e., a second bachelor’s degree after completing their first bachelor’s degree at Herzing University) can do so by completing all of the degree requirements for each subsequent degree, including at least 15 semester credit hours of coursework not applied to their previous Herzing University degree(s).