Friday, December 30, 2011

PHNs and the future of the field

I can't believe I haven't been on this blog for a year! I promise to do better in 2012! I had the pleasure of learning that I have been invited to the Robert Wood Johnson Forum on the Future of Public Health Nursing in February. I still don't know why I was chosen, but this is a very nice opportunity to hear from others in the field and also add my 2 cents!

I have been thinking on this recently. What is the most important skill our nurses need to acquire to be successful in this field? What keeps coming to mind is the skill of persuasion and the ability to 'bounce back" from adversity and resistance. A kind of professional "resilience". Whether we are visiting a client one on one or engaging in a population health endeavor it is a very likely thing that we will be discussing health with someone who...well who doesn't buy it. Nursing school doesn't often teach us how to roll with the punches and press on after conflict. Success in public health requires it!

Likely we will not affect our community in a single encounter. Persuasion, persistence, positivity!