Abstract
Objective: To clarify the characteristics and the significance of the activities of public health nurses (PHNs) belonging to public sector and private sector, especially nonprofit organization. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three PHNs working at nonprofit organizations after retiring from public sector. Data were collected from September to December, 2004. Results: The following cases were reported: "PHN of public sector saved nursery school in a remote area from removal," "PHN of nonprofit organization expanded the use of Mother-Child Exercise she originally devised when working at public sector," and "PHN of nonprofit organization swiftly took care of health problem in the community." Conclusion: The characteristics of the activities of PHNs of public sector are as follows: they can contact with community residents with legal basis, by judging from the original information of public sector; they can provide the administrative specialist services without considering profit; they can directly lobby the decisionmakers. Moreover, those of PHNs of private sector are as follows: they can build the equal relationship with community residents; they can approach the various administrative departments from their position as PHNs of private sector; they can provide the specialist services on their own ground; they can swiftly take care of the problem. Among the fast-flowing of switching from public to private sector, it might be important to develop the PHN activities fully utilizing the characteristics of both public and private PHNs.
