Community Health Nurses

[Gator-mom]

Are there any of you out there?

I want to know more about what you do! I am in my second semester of nursing school, and I've just sort of gotten a peak at this area, and so far seems like it's up my ally.

What are the main things you do?

Do you like it, or is it a burn out job (as a social work job may be)?

How did you get into this area of nursing?

[cakemama579]

Can I piggyback on this message with you? I'm a first semester nursing student, and I agree-- community health nursing seems really rewarding and interesting. (that is, if I don't end up in OB!) I don't know the ins and outs of it either, so look forward to hearing a response from someone.

[Peony]

I'll bite. I am an RN at a health dept so more of a public health job, I enjoy my work. I do some other small side "jobs" as well. My actual job is rather unique, and part time, I run a Peer Counselor breastfeeding program for the WIC clinic. Due to space issues I actually work mostly from home, I pop into the office maybe once a week and run several meetings/classes a month at the clinic. I am technically on-call 7 days a week 7am-10pm but rarely do I get a call at really odd times. My Counselors also work the same hours, they handle most of working directly with the moms and I get involved in medical issues and supervise the program. I handle documentation, spot checking of my PCs, breastfeeding classes, any medical/lactation issues and I work directly with the mom, i also write the grants that fund my program. My local health dept is a local government employer so I have to do odd things like FEMA training and attend meetings, lots of meetings. All staff meetings, dept meetings, program meetings, meetings with all state staff... The pay is eh, BUT I have enormous flexibility compared to if I was working at the hospital as a lactation consultant.

I love working with my moms and getting to know them more. I did used to do hospital nursing, and prefer seeing patients more then once, I like the connection I get. I also do breastfeeding support groups outside of the health dept and do struggle sometimes with the particular moms that I get assigned to at WIC. I often have moms bf just for the 1st month until WIC will supply some formula for them. Yes, some are motivated but compared to the moms that attend my other breastfeeding groups, the numbers are much less. It gets discouraging sometimes. I adore leading support groups though, after doing it for 6 years I finally realized that it is the education aspect that I enjoy so much. I can lecture on so many different things, i never get bored. I was accepted to a MSN program for nursing eduction to continue to learn skills but had to delay due to life.


Eventually when I want to work more (when children are older) I can keep this job and work for another program as well. There is a wonderful program here where RNs go into the house prenatally till age 5 and teach parents how to parent, that would be right up my alley. I fell into this particular field after I had DD1. I used to work on ortho/peds, ended up loving bfing so much that I started educating myself on the subject, started doing support groups, got certifications (CLEC and then I sat for the IBCLC). WIC approached me to run this program for them, when a women's resource center came to town, they asked me to lead more groups for them. I've partnered with a family center for years providing services for them as well. I think some community health jobs can certainly lead to burn out, I tend to accept jobs in areas that I am passionate about which helps me and I learned boundaries long ago. I can't help everyone, they have to want the help, if they are wishy washy about something then I make sure they know where to find me and close my mind to it.

[Gator-mom]

Thanks Peony! That was a great picture you painted. I was actually at my wic office the other day talking to Ds's nutritionist about their nurses, which is what got me thinking about it. Her description made it sound less about bfing specifically, even though I know ours does have lactation consultants and such. She talked about doing cancer screenings and home visits though which is the type of stuff I love.

I've been doing home health as a CNA for about 3 years now, but I started out working in a group home for disabled adults about 10 years ago. Their needs were more medical than psychological so I got some great first hand experiences. So far, I like being in the hospital for clinicals, but I am definitely more attracted to being able to see my patients more than once! The only fear I have is that if I start out in the community or in home health, that I'll pigeon hole myself and not be able to try something else if I get burned out there.

Before I got to the end of your post, I was thinking, this lady sounds like someone who has been through grad school..so I'm sure you'll do great with it! Good luck! It sounds like you've really be able to carve out a great career for yourself and I'm sure you'll do even more as you continue on!

[amnesiac]

I think it's going to vary depending on what's available where you live. I've worked for a municipal health dept where I live & it was run very differently from the way county health depts here are run. Municipal PHNs provided a very integrated service delivery - imms, well child exams, reportable disease investigation & control, perinatal hep B - but no TB elimination or STD programs. There was also very little in the way of community education & outreach or home visitation - it was more service delivery. At the county, everything was departmentalized to you only work in your specific area. And our WIC is a whole separate issue. I don't actually know of any nurses who work at WIC.

[Latte Mama]

I'm an RN who works as a Home Health Nurse. In NY state, we have what is called Long Term Home Health Care Programs or "nursing home without walls". Medicaid will pay for people with chronic illnesses to have an aide several times a week or even daily, a nurse visiting once a week (me), a social work once a month, medical transportation, and other services if needed.

So I have a patient caseload of about 30 and I do about 5 visits a day. Some of my patients get seen biweekly. I check their vital signs, help them with their meds, sometimes fill their med box, do a lot of teaching and some socializing too. I've had some of my patients for years and we are quite close. My hours are supposed to be 9-5 but in reality they are quite flexible. I only go in the office once or twice a week, many other times I finish my charting from home or sit at my local Starbucks and do it.

Most days I am done with my visits by 2 or 3 and then can finish up the work at home. I have to do an on call weekend about 3 times a year and 1-2 holidays. But even then, rarely have to go out and see a patient.

This is a great job when you have a family. I worked in the hospital for 7 years way before I had my DS. I couldn't imagine being away from him for 13+ hours a day now.

Community health has plenty of opportunities and I really think it's a hidden jewel!

[major_mama11]

RN currently working in hospital, but wanting to eventually get into some aspect of community health. Planning to take the CLC course next year in order to get into lactation work. Although home health has always intrigued me too... Latte Mama, your job sounds really cool.