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The Roles of Public Health Nurse in Rural Area: A Narrative Review.

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Title: The Roles of Public Health Nurse in Rural Area: A Narrative Review.
Authors: Nam HJ; College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea., Lee S; Department of Nursing, Kyungdong University, Wonju, South Korea., Park HN; Community Health and Care Services, University of South Wales, Wales, UK.
Source: Research in nursing & health [Res Nurs Health] 2025 Aug; Vol. 48 (4), pp. 466-477. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 May 20.
Publication Type: Journal Article; Systematic Review
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7806136 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1098-240X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01606891 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Res Nurs Health Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: New York, Wiley.
MeSH Terms: Nurse's Role* , Public Health Nursing* , Nurses, Public Health* , Rural Health Services*/organization & administration , Rural Population*, Humans
Abstract: This narrative review aims to identify the role of public health nurses in rural areas and provide a comparative description of their roles and duties. The literature search was conducted in May 2024 using four electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and COCHRANE. The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting System for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Of the 2249 retrieved articles, 500 duplicates were removed. After title and abstract screening, 1734 were excluded, followed by two due to unavailable full text. Six more did not meet eligibility criteria, while two additional articles were identified through hand searching. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Nine studies were selected, including four descriptive studies, one mixed-methods study, and four qualitative studies. In all nine studies, the nurse was a registered nurse; some studies also included practice nurses and advanced practice nurses. From the selected studies, eight distinct roles of rural public health nurses were identified: Assessment, Health Prevention and Promotion, Intervention, Care Coordination and Management, Communication, Community Solidarity, Education and Research, and Administration and Evaluation. Duties were matched according to these roles. This review highlights the essential roles and duties of rural public health nurses, providing foundational data for future research and practice, guiding the development of standardized role definitions, job descriptions, and training programs for rural public health nurses.
(© 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
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Grant Information: This study was supported by the Research Grant of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing in 2024.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: narrative review; public health nurse; role; rural area
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20250520 Date Completed: 20250702 Latest Revision: 20250707
Update Code: 20250708
DOI: 10.1002/nur.22470
PMID: 40392212
Database: MEDLINE
Description
Abstract:This narrative review aims to identify the role of public health nurses in rural areas and provide a comparative description of their roles and duties. The literature search was conducted in May 2024 using four electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and COCHRANE. The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting System for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Of the 2249 retrieved articles, 500 duplicates were removed. After title and abstract screening, 1734 were excluded, followed by two due to unavailable full text. Six more did not meet eligibility criteria, while two additional articles were identified through hand searching. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Nine studies were selected, including four descriptive studies, one mixed-methods study, and four qualitative studies. In all nine studies, the nurse was a registered nurse; some studies also included practice nurses and advanced practice nurses. From the selected studies, eight distinct roles of rural public health nurses were identified: Assessment, Health Prevention and Promotion, Intervention, Care Coordination and Management, Communication, Community Solidarity, Education and Research, and Administration and Evaluation. Duties were matched according to these roles. This review highlights the essential roles and duties of rural public health nurses, providing foundational data for future research and practice, guiding the development of standardized role definitions, job descriptions, and training programs for rural public health nurses.<br /> (© 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
ISSN:1098-240X
DOI:10.1002/nur.22470