Community Health Nurse

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Community Health Nurses (3152.3) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Registered Nurses (D112) 
• 2011 NOC: Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (3012) 

The duties of a community health nurse can vary from one job to another. They can also vary from one assignment to another in the same job. In general, community health nurses:

• advance public health policies
• support communities to become healthy
• promote health (to prevent disease) and run education programs
• help support groups develop community solutions to local health problems
• deliver preventive health programs (such as vaccinations or screening programs)
• consider the needs of individuals, families, groups, or communities in all stages of life
• provide health support and counselling for people in crisis
• help people in health-related crises access resources
• develop and introduce programs to manage chronic diseases
• help control outbreaks of infectious disease
• provide care and manage resources during emergencies and disasters
• plan, provide, evaluate, and document nursing care
• co-ordinate patient care
• manage, lead, and supervise nursing teams
• advocate for clients
• visit and care for individuals from all walks of life
• ensure seamless care as clients move around in the health care system
• work with others to design care plans
• co-ordinate resources to help people stay in their own homes safely (and prevent unnecessary hospital visits)
• provide acute, chronic, and end-of-life care to people in their own homes and supportive living settings

Community health nurses may work with a variety of people. Or they may focus on specific groups in the community. For example, they may work mostly with:

• children (newborn, preschool, school-age, adolescent)
• children with disabilities
• families
• women preparing for childbirth
• healthy seniors
• seniors struggling to live on their own
• people or groups with disadvantages
• community groups (such as schools, churches, housing, and social service agencies)
• individuals with acute or episodic illnesses
• people with chronic disease who need end-of-life support

Community health nurses work in many settings:

• They work with First Nations and in schools and workplaces.
• They work in primary care networks and family clinics.
• Some work in remote communities.

They may be the only health care provider in that community.

Community health nurses may:

• Counsel clients over the phone.
• See clients in clinics and in their homes.
• Work regular weekday hours.
• Work some evening and weekend work.

Many home care nurses provide on-call support to clients and informal caregivers.

Community health nurses face the same workplace hazards as other nurses. They may be exposed to infectious diseases and chemicals. They may sustain back injuries and muscle strains from moving patients. They often work alone (beyond the controlled setting of a hospital).

Community health nurses need to possess:

• the ability to be flexible and adaptive
• physical and emotional stamina
• speaking, listening, and writing skills
• the ability to think critically and solve problems
• the ability to work well with individuals, families, and groups from diverse social and cultural backgrounds
• the ability to motivate people
• the ability to work both alone and as part of a team
• the ability to react quickly to unexpected situations
• the ability to supervise others who may or may not be adequately trained

They should enjoy:

•  giving advice to individuals and groups
• promoting and maintaining good health
• taking a methodical approach to gathering information and providing treatments
• directing others’ work

Community health nurses work for:

• regional health authorities
• private nursing agencies (such as the Victorian Order of Nurses) 
• charitable organizations and churches
• health care-related businesses

Some work in primary care settings. Others are self-employed and work on a contract basis.

Advancement may mean focusing on a certain type of health care service (such as palliative care, health education, genetic counselling, or teen sexual health). It could also mean serving a specific client population (such as seniors or school children).

Community health nurses are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 3012: Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses. In Alberta, 96% of people employed in this classification work in the Health Care and Social Assistance [pdf] industry.

The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events that affect overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities that come up when people leave existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities that come up when new positions are created)
• size of the occupation.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) website: www.nursesunions.ca

Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) website: www.cna-aiic.ca

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) website: www.nurses.ab.ca

Community Health Nurses of Alberta (CHNAlberta) website: chnalberta.ca

United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) website: www.una.ab.ca

For more information on career planning, education and jobs call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre toll-free at 1-877-644-9992 or 780-644-9992 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Supports Centre near you.