Usually nurses that think public health is boring are imagining endless paperwork and government regulations. I love all kinds of nursing, but nothing beats public health nursing. What's exciting? Try face to face with your clients. Knocking on the door of that new Mother for the first time and wondering how the journey will unfold. Visiting a local head start and watching the kid's faces light up to see their "nurse". Helping the emerging language learner connect with vital services in the community. Deciding what your community needs for better health and then having the autonomy to plan and implement a program at the grassroots level. Watching the community in your care stop smoking, drive safer, put their babies to sleep safely, avoid disease, eat better and on and on!
The most gratifying and terrifying moments in my nursing career have most definitely been during my career in public health! Boring Schmoring....get with it!
I agree 100% with you that public health nursing is definitely now boring! I also appreciate all the areas in nursing ( especially since I have practiced in many areas), but my favorite and most of my nursing experience is in public health nursing of which I absolutely love ! It is far from boring with everything as you have described and many more things than what we could ever blog ! One of my colleagues once described a community/public health nurse as "placing their arms around a community." Public health nurses always have their eyes and ears open and are presented with challenges that stretch every single critical thinking skill and knowledge of nursing a person has ever learned in a very independent area of practice. Boring is NOT a term in public health nursing for sure!
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