Objective: To analyze regulation and public policies related to nursing and the specialist nurse in community and public health nursing.
Methods: Analysis of the legal and normative framework of community and public health nursing in Portugal, as well as current public health policies, regarding the competences and intervention of this nurse, articulated with the attributions of the Public Health Unit.
Results: The intervention of this nurse deserves a broad reflection, in the sense of maximizing the activities of community and public health, essential for the implementation of public policies and obtaining health gains.
Final considerations: This nurse has competences foreseen in the regulations and standards for public health interventions, in line with the attributions of the Public Health Unit, of the National Health Service, in which specialties are identified for their performance in the current structure.