An exploratory survey of public health nurses' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and application of the Quad Council Competencies.

Objective: A collaborative research team of community/public health nursing faculty and public health nurses surveyed public health nurses to explore knowledge, skills, attitudes, and application of the Quad Council Competencies for Public Health Nurses (QCC‐PHN). Methods: Evaluate the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and application of the 2011 QCC‐PHN by public health nurses. Design: A descriptive, cross‐sectional design was used to answer the hypothesis related to the study objective. A convenience sample of 308 public health nurses completed an online survey. Measurements: ANOVA was used to determine the difference between the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and application of community/public health nurses (C/PHNs) regarding the QCC‐PHN based on nursing specialty preparation, years of nursing experience, and years of C/PHN experience. Results: C/PHNs are described and differences in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and application are delineated. A statistically significant difference was found in knowledge and attitude based upon years of C/PHN experience. Conclusions: Recommendations are proposed for increasing the QCC‐PHN awareness, implementation, and evaluation to effectively enhance the practice of nursing C/PHN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]