PHN Roles in COVID-19

Increasing visibility: Exploring the context, role, and impact of public health nursing during COVID-19 in Ontario

The overall purpose of this study is to understand the structures, processes, and impact of the public health nurse (PHN) role during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario through a multiple-case study design.

This study will address the following questions:

1. How do PHNs and nursing administrators describe PHN roles over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in three geographic areas in Ontario (urban, urban-rural, northern)?
2. What are the contextual factors that influence the implementation of PHN roles?
3. How do PHNs and nursing administrators describe the impact of PHN roles on clients, PHNs themselves, and the organizations in which they work?

Investigations that profile the extensive roles of PHNs, their impact, and the facilitative elements of role implementation can provide compelling evidence to strengthen workforce capacity amid public health modernization.

For more information please contact:

Emily Belita, RN, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing, McMaster University
[email protected]