Our Maternal and Child Health Nurses are very important to the work we do here at Franklin County Public Health! They focus on safe sleep, infant mortality and the Children with Medical Handicaps (CMH) program.
The CMH program links families of children with special health care needs with health care providers to obtain payment for the medical services their child needs.
With this program being so helpful to families in our communities, we asked them what it means to be a Public Health Nurse (PHN) and what their favorite part of their job!:
“My favorite thing about being a PHN is advocating for families that are in need of medical assistance and providing resources for those that may not have food, clothing or are unable to pay bills. I love having a good rapport with them and seeing their smiling faces light up, knowing I am there for them.”
Denise
“What I like about being a PHN…is helping clients get on the CMH program, especially families who have no health insurance.”
Judy
“My favorite part of being a PHN is establishing relationships with my families. Going out into the community and into a family’s home is a special trust. It is not like working in a hospital where the patient and family are on your turf. My families invite me into their homes and I feel honored in their trust. I meet my families where they are. I am not there to judge or tell them what they should do. I am there to help them meet their goals and learn about their needs. I provide resources and let them decide what they want to use and what does not work for them. I learn about their family and culture, and our relationship grows. Public Health Nursing is very different from hospital nursing and I am happy to be a PHN”.
Susan
“To use my compassion and my knowledge of nursing and society to better the lives of the people in the public is to be a PHN.”
India
“What I love about being a Public Health Nurse is the feeling of walking in my purpose. It is the fulfilling gratification of being of service, helping others and making positive impacts to improve health outcomes, health disparities and health literacy, through the utilization of evidence and community-based interventions, advocacy, education and support. I am able to reach, connect and build trusting relationships by meeting people right where they are in life and health. This allows me the opportunity to make positive changes and differences for individuals, communities and populations, especially those who are most vulnerable. I am fortunate to work alongside an amazing team of PHNs and for an agency that believes in community, partnership, connection and collaboration, all working together, in service for the health and well-being of others.”
Acacia
“Being a PHN means recognizing that one’s overall health is influenced by many factors in their environment. As PHNs, we connect with and serve our clients where they are, despite any barriers that may be present. Public Health Nurses advocate for the needs of clients that may not always be evident in other settings. We impact clients on an individual basis with a ripple effect to the population level as every individual plays an integral role in their surrounding communities. We use our clinical knowledge base and expertise in population health to impact communities as a whole”.
Alyssa
“The best part of being a PHN is being able to assist families with chronically ill children, especially after they leave the hospital and all of their support goes away. Every family is different on what they might need assistance with, whether it’s helping them to fill out paperwork, understanding paperwork that is needed, finding resources or equipment for their growing child or just having a person to talk to about their child and what that means to them. This is why I became a nurse, to help and care for others”.
Mary
“My favorite part of being a PHN is being able to think outside the box to help people remain safe and healthy out in the community by connecting them with resources, and access to quality care”.
Amy