“A public health nurse is a nurse who works to promote and protect the health of an entire population” (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2010, p .839) The public health nurse I chose to interview was Barbara, she currently works for the health department and has been there for three years. During the interview Barbara discussed the requirements for a public health nurse. The individual must have the ability to exercise independent judgment, plan, and be able to administer safe and effective public nursing care. Also be able to work effectively with individuals and families to assist them in the satisfactory resolution of health problems, recognizing and respecting different cultural, ethnic and healthcare practice differences. The nurse is also expected to have knowledge of disease prevention, such as different teaching techniques, counseling, interviews, and available resources. Barbara said the most important part of being a public health nurse is being able to assist. Barbara acknowledged that there are numerous people she assists every day who just want someone to show that they care and understand. The education a public health nurse should obtain is a bachelor's degree in nursing, which Barbara holds. “Public health nurses who work with specific populations or in administrative positions should have a master's degree” (Allender et al., 2010, p.839). Barbara explained that before becoming a public health nurse she worked at St. Francis Hospital as a medical surgical nurse for five years, after which it was imperative that she change her work environment. Barbara confirmed that working as a hospital nurse was extremely different than working as a public health nurse. “Comparing public health nursing to general nursing, public health nursing is population-based, focuses on the common good, health promotion and disease prevention, and utilizes community resources. General nursing care is individual-based, focusing on the individual's good, restoring health and function, and managing the resources at hand” (Minnesota Department of Health, 2007). Barbara initially thought that public health nursing would be a difficult job to acquire, however, she determined that it was an exceptionally easy and rewarding career to possess. Barbara said she didn't realize how much assistance there was for the public until; she worked as a public health nurse. Barbara spends 95% of her day moving from place to place making house calls, investigating multiple cases, assisting with screening programs, and doing enormous amounts of paperwork..