This study will clarify the present state of public health nursing activities and public health nurses’ knowledge of radiation in a prefecture where nuclear power plant have been located. We conducted a questionnaire survey of public health nurses 462 persons, to find the following results. A comparison of public health nursing knowledge of radiation and the training and education on radiation for nursing activities was made by investigation two groups of public health nurses: those who worked in places for public health center nurses or municipal health nurses center and those who worked in places of inner or outer of UPZ （Urgent Protective action planning Zone）.
We got survey responses from 222 persons and the response rate to the questionnaires was 48.1%. In prefecture（A）, differences in public health nurses’ knowledge and need for education of radiation were recognized. Especially public health nurses worked in the UPZ had many opportunities to receive radiation education and nuclear disaster prevention training, so their need for education and knowledge scores tended to be higher. While public health nurses feel the need for radiation education in places where a nuclear power plant is located, they also feel the need for radiation education in their daily work. It is therefore necessary for all public health nurses to receive radiation education for their daily and non-daily work activities.