Building a Unified Competency Framework for Public Health

BACKGROUND: To enhance workforce capacity and population health, a collaborative approach is necessary to identify and establish consistent benchmarks across community/public health nursing (C/PHN) practices and public health sectors, thereby standardizing skills, knowledge, and actions to ensure a unified level of safe, quality care. METHODS: Five key competency documents were selected based on a literature review of public health competency tools and were reviewed according to primary focus, key themes and unique features, as noted by thematic highlights identifying key components. RESULTS: Similarities and gaps revealed misalignment among competencies, informing a recommendation for a new model. The Public Health Outcomes through Equity, Navigation, Inclusion, and Cross-Sector Collaboration (PHOENIX) was developed, offering a universal competency framework that incorporates interdisciplinary competencies as well as nursing's' uniqueness to public health. DISCUSSION: Public health envelops a collective representation of a broad workforce, where cross-disciplinary strategic thinking requires the leveling of competencies to create interdisciplinary unity for a broader workforce, which also acknowledges nursing's unique role identity in direct care and practice. PHOENIX is distinct in its nursing lens, yet broad enough to capture the dynamic disciplines of all public health partners.