16 Community Health Nurse Skills for Your Career and Resume

Community health nurses provide care and services to individuals, families and groups in a variety of settings. They use a variety of skills to promote health and prevent disease. If you’re interested in becoming a community health nurse, it’s important to understand what skills are necessary for this position.

Interdisciplinary Teamwork

Community health nurses often work with a variety of other medical professionals, including doctors, physical therapists and nutritionists. They must be able to collaborate effectively with these individuals in order to provide their patients with the best care possible. For example, a community health nurse may work with a doctor to develop an exercise plan for a patient recovering from surgery. The nurse then works with a physical therapist to ensure that the patient is performing the exercises correctly.

Organization

Organization is the ability to keep track of multiple tasks and responsibilities. Community health nurses often have many duties, including managing patient records, scheduling appointments, handling insurance claims and providing treatment. Having strong organizational skills can help you stay on top of your workload and ensure that patients receive the care they need in a timely manner.

Program Development

Community health nurses often develop programs to help patients improve their health. For example, a community health nurse may create an exercise program for people with diabetes who need to lose weight or reduce their blood sugar levels. They also design treatment plans that include medication and other treatments to help patients manage their conditions.

Collaboration

Community health nurses often work with other medical professionals, such as physicians and registered nurses. They also collaborate with patients to ensure they understand their treatment plan and how to properly administer medications or perform self-care tasks. Community health nurses may also collaborate with community organizations to help educate the public about topics like nutrition, exercise and mental health.

Interpersonal Skills

Community health nurses often work with a variety of people, including patients, families and other medical professionals. Interpersonal skills include empathy, compassion and the ability to communicate effectively with others. Community health nurses use their interpersonal skills when interacting with patients to ensure they understand treatment options and feel comfortable asking questions.

Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Community health nurses often work with patients who have complex medical needs and may need to adjust their treatment plans as new information becomes available. Flexibility can also help community health nurses navigate unexpected challenges, such as when a patient misses an appointment or when unforeseen events occur.

Research

Community health nurses often use research skills to find information about their patients’ conditions and treatment options. They also use research skills when they create care plans for their patients, as these documents often include references to medical studies that the nurse used to develop their plan. Community health nurses can also use research skills to keep up with new developments in their field so they can provide their patients with the most effective treatments available.

Grant Writing

Grant writing is the ability to create a proposal for funding that explains how your project or program will benefit an organization. Community health nurses often use their grant-writing skills when applying for government grants, which can help them secure funding for projects and programs that improve community health.

Advocacy

Community health nurses often advocate for their patients, which means they support them in receiving the care and resources they need. This can include advocating for a patient to receive treatment or medication that may not be covered by insurance. It also includes helping patients navigate the healthcare system, including finding specialists, scheduling appointments and understanding medical terminology.

Communication

Community health nurses often work with a variety of people, including patients, doctors and other medical professionals. They must be able to communicate effectively in order to relay information about their patients’ conditions and treatment plans. This also includes communicating clearly with patients so they understand the treatment process and what to expect from it.

Problem Solving

Community health nurses often use problem-solving skills to address the needs of their patients. For example, a patient may have diabetes and need help managing their blood sugar levels. A community health nurse might develop an individualized treatment plan for this patient that includes regular checkups and education on how to manage their condition.

Leadership

Community health nurses often work in teams with other medical professionals, such as physicians and registered nurses. Leadership skills allow community health nurses to take charge of these teams and direct them toward common goals. This can help ensure that patients receive the best care possible from a team of skilled professionals. It also allows community health nurses to mentor their colleagues and develop future leaders in the field.

Policy Analysis

Community health nurses often use policy analysis skills to understand the regulations and guidelines that govern their work. They may need these skills to interpret laws, rules and standards related to public health, patient care or medical treatment. For example, a community health nurse might analyze policies regarding insurance coverage for patients with certain conditions or treatments. This can help them determine which services are covered by insurance companies and how they should communicate this information to patients.

Community Outreach

Community health nurses often work with a team of other medical professionals to provide care for patients. They may also be responsible for educating the public about various health topics, such as how to maintain a healthy lifestyle or how to prevent certain illnesses. Community outreach is an important part of many community health nurse jobs and can help them build relationships with their communities while providing valuable information.

Patient Education

Patient education is an important skill for community health nurses to have because they often work with patients who are unfamiliar with their medical conditions. Community health nurses use patient education skills when educating patients about how to manage their illnesses, what symptoms to look out for and how to prevent complications. They also use these skills when teaching patients about healthy lifestyle choices that can help them overcome their illnesses or maintain good health.

Case Management

Case management is the process by which a community health nurse oversees and coordinates care for an individual or group of patients. This involves assessing patient needs, developing treatment plans and monitoring progress to ensure that patients receive the most effective treatment. Community health nurses use case management skills when working with patients in hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities as well as in their homes.

How Can I Learn These Community Health Nurse Skills?

Community health nurses typically possess a wide range of skills and knowledge that they can use to improve the health of their patients and communities. Many of these skills can be learned through formal education and training programs, while others may be more difficult to learn without on-the-job experience. However, some skills, such as interpersonal skills and communication, are important for all community health nurses to possess. To learn more about the skills needed for community health nursing, interested individuals can consult resources such as the National Association of Community Health Nurses’ Competencies for Public Health Nursing or the Public Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice.