Can nurses rise to the public health challenge? How a novel solution in nurse education can address this contemporary question

Abstract

This paper raises the problem of how improvements in health outcomes, a key component in many governments' strategies, can be achieved. The work highlights a novel undergraduate educational approach which offers solutions to public health challenges within nursing. Against the backdrop of one UK university institution it discusses approaches that can guide nursing students towards a deeper understanding and engagement within the principles of public health. It then proposes how nurses can use their learning to become leaders of health improvement.

Keywords: Education; Health promotion; Leadership; Nurses; Public health.