>> The history of public Health nurse and is filled with
stories of healing.
Hardships, heroism ingenuity and compassion,
although significant advancements have been made one
thing remains constant public health nurses make a
substantial impact on the health of individuals families
and communities where they live work and play.
Hello, my name is Shawn us of arrow as a public health nurse
we work with pregnant women, parents and newborns, school
age children young adults and seniors.
The ultimate goal is to promote healthy communities by
addressing health inequities and serving those most in need.
In a moment, you will meet public health nurses who are
dynamic, smart and passionate about the work. They do
our public health nurses play a vital role in the prevention of
disease and promotion of community health and safety.
>> Public health nurse and essentially to me means being
able to provide here to all so here within the school system
not only in my care for the students but care for their
families as well, I don't do it single-handedly in the school
work very closely with the teachers, so your education,
we work closely with the social workers to school psychologist
so we're looking at all realms and all aspects of the students
lives. I do think about the students as they tend to girl
can become adults typically when we're providing here,
we're providing it along the lines of trying to promote
healthy students who then tend to grow up to become healthy
adults thus providing us with help the communities in the and
I've never worked at a place where I've worked with such a
great support system of nurses. They're like my family away
from home in the U.S. the rewards I would definitely say
would be it looks all the care coronation aspect of my job and
commitment families to resources being able to see the
students grow up from the preschool level on up through
high school. I would dare to say come on and give public
health nurse and a try were able to reach communities where
change allies, each and every day is very rewarding and not
only that it has
the opportunity for work life balance.
>> Being a public health nurse at an adult day health care
center might be a little different than what most people
envision they're actually 4 centers here in Fairfax County.
And we work with the Donald to have disabilities with its
their cognitive disabilities for physical disabilities.
Our center provides
activities exercise, socialization
fun, and laughter and in a protected environment and we
also have nurses on staff who oversee health
and early detection of disease, ah, what is so nice about this
program is we see the people every day the connection is so
rewarding we get to know
who they are what they're like what tickles them that they get
a great laugh.
How much they love music.
How they come alive once they you know come to the center and
we help the caregivers to we help them by providing this,
you know the center providing the service.
>> When you can have some place that safe
and some place that they're enjoying and still give
caregivers a break it's just a win-win for everybody.
These are professionals they truly have a love I can even
say they love my mom.
>> It's a place where the caregivers tell me
you know I it's so good, I know they're safe here, you know
they're safe and even the mom can tell me, she's lost a lot
of her speech. She's happy when I picked her up she's happy.
>> I love my job and I've been doing this for very long time
it may be I don't want to see how long that many many years,
but I do love working and interacting with the families,
especially in the community. So my job is actually to go out
into the homes and visit them the mommies and babies, the
biggest inspiration for me, I'd have to say is my mom. My mom
is also a registered nurse from California and I remember she
was working at the Health Department in Los Angeles.
And she she provided
health teaching and Prevention to a variety of population
there. I think that was my very early.
>> Memories of the foundation not realizing that I was going
the direction of public Health, but it to set the foundation
where I wanted to work with families and children.
>> Our goal as the mcg nurses is to provide health teaching
wellness.
Disease injury prevention to support the mom and baby to
make sure that they're both healthy during the pregnancy
and also making sure that after the pregnancy they're doing
well take care of the children.
>> Is that she she came as like a family
who wanted to help me. Hitting Kim the ice and this she can
make it fun. I can open up to her
everything that I need I feel
likely lead to talk to head them my mind about that
because she was she was so amazing.
>> For me, I have a passion for keeping the community the
families healthy and strong and thriving and I think my rules
public health nurse provides me the opportunity to do that.