Posted by: NurseKeith in Untagged on
Oct 14, 2008
So, as my second week at my new (temporary and part-time) job as a Public Health Nurse begins, I am seeing how 10 hours really pushes me to my limits of time management.
When I arrived this morning, a woman from a Caribbean island was there with a child who was not actually hers, and the child was said to need "lots of shots". A few calls to the school who sent her to see me helped me to glean what was needed and why her parents were not bringing her to see me, but the entire production---including her tears after 3 vaccinations---took up the first 45 minutes of my day.
Meanwhile, calls and emails were coming in, and my planned 4-hour day turned into 6, leaving only 4 hours for the rest of the week! I now really have to manage my time like a pro......
These time-limited nursing positions are challenging ones, and managing that time is half the battle.
Posted by: NurseKeith in public health, nursing on
Oct 04, 2008
This Monday, I will begin my new position as the interim Public Health Nurse in my town, and I find myself wondering about what that actually means. After two rushed training sessions with my kind but harried predecessor, I feel somewhat prepared for the challenges ahead, but uncertain about what I will actually do each day. So far, I know that I will:
- Coordinate flu clinics for town residents and town employees
- Case manage active cases of TB, pertussis and other diseases, including home visits
- Use an online epidemiological tracking tool to track reportable diseases and communicate with state and federal public health organizations
- Coordinate and interface with other Public Health Nurses and officials in my region and state
- Answer questions, field phone calls and emails, and otherwise make myself available to citizens and other town employees
- Put out any public health fires that erupt
- Etc, etc, etc
I may need to vent about these challenges from time to time, but then again it may all fall into place and be just fine. We shall see. At any rate, it is a new adventure in nursing for me, and a new way to use my skills and knowledge.
So why am I so nervous?
Posted by: NurseKeith in Nurse LinkUp on
Oct 02, 2008
I am so excited about the changes happening here at NurseLinkup, and I'm doubly excited that we successfully hosted Change of Shift for the first time amidst all of those changes!
It's gratifying to see people coming to the site, and we want to make it very clear that more great changes are on the way in the coming months. We will be improving the social networking aspects of the site, and never fear, many functions will become more user-friendly with time.
Thank you to everyone who has visited recently. Thanks to our new members, and to those members who have given their feedback to help us improve the site.
And a very special thanks to John M, the behind-the-scenes programmer making it all happen!
Posted by: NurseKeith in Untagged on
Sep 24, 2008
Today I accepted a temporary position as the Interim Public Health Nurse for my town of residence, ten hours per week! The nurse who has been in the position is leaving after thirteen years (to become a school nurse, of all things) and I am stepping in for at least three months and will be responsible for disease surveillance, immunization tracking and clinics, and other public health issues. I am excited and nervous, and could be in the running for the permanent 26-hour position at the beginning of 2009!
Posted by: NurseKeith in Untagged on
Sep 20, 2008
Sometimes things just happen. Yesterday I received an email from the person who serves as the Public Health Nurse for the little college town where I live (population: 20,000 residents + 25,000 students, more or less). She's stepping down from her post and the town is looking for an interim part-time nurse (10 hours per week +/-) to organize, plan, and implement the town's flu clinics for the season, as well as track the handful of TB cases and other reportable diseases in the area.
A few emails and a phone call later, and a meeting has been set up for me to discuss the position with the Powers that Be. No muss, no fuss. Perhaps not even a formal interview. (One confounding factor: I have tickets to fly to Brussels to visit old friends and will be gone November 4th-12th. Deal breaker? We'll see.)
Meanwhile, I await a call for an interview in the local inpatient psych unit.
More meaningful and remunerative work may be just around the corner.
