What is a Community/ Public Health Nurse?

Karen Teeley

15 Sept 201604:27

Summary

TLDRThe 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.

Outlines

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👩‍⚕️ The Broad Impact of Community Health Nursing

The script introduces the concept of community health nursing, contrasting it with the traditional hospital bedside nursing. It emphasizes the potential for nurses to make a significant difference at a population level rather than on an individual basis. The story of Maria, a nurse who works in a hospital but is moved by the preventable health issues of her patients, is used to illustrate the narrative. Maria's encounter with a patient named Ted, who is facing an amputation due to complications from diabetes, prompts her to consider a career shift towards community health to prevent such issues. The script outlines various community nursing roles, including maternal and child healthcare, school nursing, public health, occupational health, and hospice care, highlighting the diverse ways nurses can contribute to public health and the potential for higher job satisfaction.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Community Health Nurse

A Community Health Nurse is a specialized nurse who focuses on the health of entire populations rather than individual patients. They work outside of traditional hospital settings, often in community centers or public health departments. In the video, Maria considers becoming a Community Health Nurse to have a broader impact on health, preventing issues before they escalate to the need for hospitalization, as seen with patients like Ted who has diabetes-related complications.

💡Public Health Nurse

Public Health Nurses work at the population level to assess community health needs, implement preventive measures, and promote health education. They may work for government agencies, non-profits, or health departments. The video highlights the role of Public Health Nurses in identifying and addressing community health issues, such as new disease outbreaks or health trends, which aligns with Maria's realization of the potential to prevent health problems on a larger scale.

💡Maternal and Child Healthcare Nurse

Maternal and Child Healthcare Nurses specialize in the care of pregnant women, new mothers, and infants. They often visit homes to provide care and education, ensuring a healthy start for babies and supporting new mothers. In the script, Maria learns about this role, which underscores the preventive and educational aspects of community nursing, aiming to empower families with health knowledge from the earliest stages.

💡School Nurse

School Nurses are responsible for the health and well-being of students while they are at school. They conduct health screenings, administer first aid, and teach health education. The video mentions School Nurses as an example of how nurses can influence the health of children from an early age, which is crucial for preventing long-term health issues and fostering healthy habits.

💡Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations. Public Health Nurses use epidemiological knowledge to identify patterns of disease and health conditions within communities. In the video, Maria's interest in epidemiology is sparked as she learns about the role of Public Health Nurses in tracking and responding to health trends, like new cases of tuberculosis or measles outbreaks.

💡Occupational Health Nurse

Occupational Health Nurses, also known as Employee Health Nurses, focus on the health and safety of workers in the workplace. They conduct health screenings, manage workplace health programs, and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. The video script introduces this role to Maria as a way to prevent work-related health issues, emphasizing the proactive nature of community nursing in various settings.

💡Hospice Nurse

Hospice Nurses provide palliative care to patients who are terminally ill, aiming to provide comfort and support rather than cure. They work with patients and families to manage symptoms and provide emotional and spiritual support during the end-of-life process. Maria learns about the high job satisfaction among Hospice Nurses, which is tied to the meaningful work of facilitating a 'good death' in accordance with the patient's wishes.

💡Grassroots Advocacy

Grassroots Advocacy refers to the actions of ordinary citizens at the local level to influence public policy and resource allocation. The video suggests that some Community Health Nurses engage in grassroots advocacy or lobbying to effect change at the policy level. This highlights the multifaceted role of community nurses, who not only provide care but also advocate for health equity and policy improvements.

💡Preventive Care

Preventive Care is a set of measures taken to prevent disease or detect it at an early stage. The video emphasizes the importance of preventive care in the community nursing roles that Maria explores. By focusing on prevention, community nurses can address health issues before they become severe, as illustrated by the case of Ted, whose complications could potentially have been mitigated through early intervention.

💡Health Equity

Health Equity refers to the fair distribution of health resources and opportunities, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to be as healthy as possible. The video's theme of community nursing touches on health equity by showcasing how nurses can work to prevent health disparities and promote health for all members of a community, regardless of their social or economic status.

Highlights

Nurses often envision themselves caring for patients at the bedside in hospitals.

Nurses are motivated by a desire to alleviate patient suffering and improve their lives.

Community health or public health nurses have the potential to make a significant impact on entire populations.

Maria, a nurse, is inspired by the idea of preventing health issues rather than just treating them.

Maria's patient Ted exemplifies the preventable health complications that can arise from lifestyle choices.

Ted's story illustrates the potential for early intervention to prevent severe health outcomes.

Maria considers how her nursing role could be expanded to reach patients before severe health issues develop.

Maternal and Child Healthcare nurses support new mothers and infants, promoting healthy starts.

School nurses play a crucial role in teaching children about health and identifying early issues.

Public Health nurses assess community health needs and are skilled in epidemiology.

Occupational Health nurses ensure workplace safety and screen for early health problems.

Home care or 'hospice' nurses provide critical care for very sick patients in familiar surroundings.

Hospice nurses experience high job satisfaction through supporting patients and families at the end of life.

Community Health nurses can also engage in advocacy or policy work to influence health outcomes.

Maria concludes that community and public health nursing roles offer broader opportunities to improve patient lives.

Community nurses can address health issues on a larger scale and advocate for their patients.

Maria is excited by the variety of interesting nursing jobs available outside of traditional hospital settings.

Working in community or public health allows nurses to prevent serious problems before they start.