About the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

The Public Health Nurse Consultant Program is designed to address the varying health challenges faced by communities across Massachusetts. A joint collaboration between the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), the program’s overall goal is to advance the mission of the Blueprint for Public Health Excellence and support the advancement of Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) for all communities. PHN Consultants provide support, technical assistance and guidance as needed to all PHNs and other health department staff to address the unique needs of each community. Examples include screening for hypertension, vaccination clinics, harm reduction or maternal visiting programs.

Services

The program delivers services in three main areas - 

Clinical Consultation

Consultants provide clinical consultations to local health departments and PHNs to support Foundational Public Health Services, serve as mentors for new nurses or those new to Local Public Health Nursing, support the clinical and programmatic work of seasoned LPHNs, and provide community focused technical assistance and support.  

Training Program

The Public Health Nurse Consultant Program is tasked with creating and delivering a three-tiered PHN training curriculum with ongoing quality improvement. The curriculum will be structured as follows: 

• Tier 1: Asynchronous eLearning Modules
• Tier 2: Instructor Led Courses on LPH topics as a part of the Local Public Health Intensive Training Program
• Tier 3: Practice-based Clinical Training using Real Public Health Scenarios

Workforce Development

The Public Health Nurse Consultant Program will work with the Office of Local and Regional Health's (OLRH) Workforce Unit on recruitment strategies. Outreach will begin with all BSN programs in Massachusetts and will include in-person presentations aimed at introducing nursing students to the profession of Public Health Nursing. The program will work with academic partners in each of the five regions to build relationships that serve workforce development, and will facilitate preceptorships and clinical experiences for nursing students with LPH partners across the Commonwealth. 

Learn more

• Search your county to find your regional public health nurse consultant.
• Learn about trainings for healthcare providers.
• Share any feedback, questions, or requests you may have regarding the Local Public Health Nurse Consultant Program via the LPHNCP Feedback Form.
• Reach out to your region's Local Public Health Nurse Consultant for technical assistance and support by completing the OLRH Technical Support Request Form.
• Sign up for the Local Public Health Nurse Consultant Email Distribution List.