Last update:
22-Apr-2024

The crucial role of nurses was further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were among the frontline healthcare workers. In this context, the role of nurses was significantly extended to public health through both COVID-19 vaccination and the collection of samples for coronavirus diagnostic testing. Nurses serve public health through various services such as local health units, health centers, home health care, schools, mobile health units, refugee camps, prisons, etc. The public health intervention model has been developed over the last 20 years or so and is an excellent guide to how health professionals can promote public health. According to this model, all public health interventions are based on the population, which, in this case, is defined as the set of individuals who have one or more characteristics in common, either individually or in relation to the environment. The public health intervention model has been applied in many different cases by nurses to promote the health of communities, e.g. to prevent unwanted pregnancies in adolescents, accidents from falls in the elderly, etc. The role of school nurses is particularly important, as children concern a vulnerable population group since they rely on adults to meet their needs. Nurses are the cornerstone for development and implementation of appropriate public health interventions to safeguard and promote health both at the individual and community level. Thus, nurses' knowledge about public health issues should be updated in order to create and implement appropriate interventions.

Key words: Inequalities, Nurses, Prevention, Public health, Vulnerable populations.