In 1996, a small group of public health nurse members of the Maryland Public Health Association decided to meet together apart from the parent organization in order to revive a much needed network for nurses concerned about public health issues. Another big concern the group wanted to address was the lack of public understanding of the many pivotal roles that public health nurses play in safeguarding the health of vulnerable populations. Nurses working in other specialty areas voiced confusion concerning our sub-specialty. Nurses considering our specialty were unclear about the competencies and skills required to practice in the field of public health nursing. The of the Maryland Public Health Nursing Section is to: Establish formal and informal networks with nursing colleagues and public health focused agencies and organizations. Disseminate public health nursing knowledge, activities and research findings through educational programs. Recognize excellence of nurses in the field of public health nursing. Promote understanding of public health and public health nursing. Develop health policy pertaining to public health nursing. Provide a mechanism for interdisciplinary nursing collaboration to advocate for public health policy and legislation.
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