What is a Community/ Public Health Nurse?

Summary

The video script highlights the transformative power of community health and public health nursing, contrasting it with traditional bedside nursing. It follows Maria, a nurse who, after witnessing preventable suffering like that of her patient Ted, explores various nursing roles outside the hospital. She learns about maternal and child health, school nursing, public health assessments, occupational health, home care, and hospice care. Maria discovers that community nurses can impact lives on a broader scale, preventing issues before they escalate, and concludes that nursing offers diverse opportunities to make a significant difference.

Takeaways

• 🏥 Traditional nurses work at the bedside in hospitals, focusing on direct patient care.
• 🌟 Nurses are driven by a desire to make a difference in patients' lives and alleviate suffering.
• 🔍 Maria, a nurse, realizes that many patient issues could be prevented with early intervention.
• 🤔 Maria ponders how her role could extend beyond the hospital to reach patients sooner.
• 👶 Maternal and Child Healthcare nurses visit new moms and babies at home to ensure a healthy start.
• 🏫 School nurses educate children about healthy eating and conduct health screenings to detect early issues.
• 🌍 Public Health nurses assess community needs at a broader level, using epidemiology to identify trends and diseases.
• 🏢 Occupational Health nurses work in companies to ensure employee safety and identify potential health problems.
• 🏠 Home health nurses, or visiting nurses, provide care to very sick patients in the comfort of their own homes.
• 💖 Hospice nurses offer end-of-life care, providing a sense of closure for patients and families seeking a peaceful death.
• 🌱 Community Health nurses can engage in advocacy and policy work, influencing health outcomes on a larger scale.

Q & A

What is the traditional image of a nurse that most people have?

The traditional image of a nurse that most people have is someone who takes care of patients at the bedside in a hospital.

Why do most nurses become nurses according to the script?

Most nurses become nurses because they genuinely want to make a difference and improve their patients' lives.

What is the potential drawback of a hospital-based nursing role as seen by Maria?

The potential drawback is that hospital-based nurses often see patients after their conditions have worsened, which could have been prevented with early detection and intervention.

Who is Ted in the script and what is his situation?

Ted is a 53-year-old overweight patient with diabetes who has been admitted multiple times for complications related to his weight and diabetes. He is currently admitted for a below-the-knee amputation.

What role does Maria consider that could have helped prevent Ted's situation?

Maria considers the role of a community health or public health nurse, who could have potentially helped prevent Ted's situation through early detection and intervention.

What are some of the community nursing roles that Maria learns about?

Maria learns about maternal and child healthcare nurses, school nurses, public health nurses, occupational health nurses, home health nurses, and hospice nurses.

What do maternal and child healthcare nurses do?

Maternal and child healthcare nurses visit new moms in their homes to ensure the babies have a healthy start and that high-risk new moms learn important childcare skills.

What is the role of a school nurse?

School nurses teach children about healthy eating habits at an early age and perform health screenings to identify early health problems.

What does Maria discover about public health nurses?

Maria discovers that public health nurses work at the state or municipal level, assess entire communities to identify health issues, and are skilled in epidemiology to track disease trends.

How do occupational health nurses contribute to employee health?

Occupational health nurses work in companies or hospitals to keep employees safe at work and screen for early health problems.

What is the significance of hospice nurses' work according to the script?

Hospice nurses care for patients at the end of life, providing a sense of closure for patients and families by ensuring a 'good death' according to the patient's wishes.

What conclusion does Maria reach about community and public health nursing roles?

Maria concludes that community and public health nurses have a greater opportunity to positively influence patients' lives, can see the big picture, advocate for their patients, and work to prevent serious problems before they begin.