With the number of public health nurses (PHN) declining nationwide, it’s crucial to understand where PHNs work, what they do, and how to address workforce development needs. However, estimates of the size of the PHN workforce vary depending on data source, and current workforce survey methods often categorize PHNs based on work setting, which does not capture their full range of functions.

This article explores the federal PHN workforce of the US Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, examining demographics, work settings, and job functions, and assesses the accuracy of job function questions for effectively describing and measuring the PHN workforce.