1. Throughoutmy adultlife,Ihave workedina wide array of publichealth care facilities. Most
recently,I have workedatboth NewHanoverRegional Medical Centerandthe New HanoverCounty
HealthDepartmentasa registerednurse. Iamcurrentlya publichealthnurse focusingonschool health.
I am dedicatedtopromoting healthyhabits notonlyinmy school,butacrossthe community as well.
In school health,manyof the essential servicesof publichealth are eminent. Monitoringhealth
statusesandimmunizations, providingeducation,promotinghealthylifestyles andhabits,developing
emergencyactionplans forthe chronicallyill,identifyingandinvestigatingpotential andidentified
healthconcernsandlinkingindividualsto the appropriate healthservicestheyneed are justafewof the
responsibilities of the publichealthnurse. Andasa school nurse,these aspectsof publichealthare just
a fewof the dailyduties. Because of thisscope of practice anditsdistinctpopulation- focused base;
publichealth nursingmaynotbe the right fitforeverynurse;but I know it isfor me.
As a registerednurse, andevenwhile innursingschool, Ialwayshadapassionforpublichealth.
It encompassessomuchof what I holdnearand dearto my heart,and whyI evendecidedtobecome a
nurse inthe firstplace. Iwantedto helpthose inneed,those whocouldn’thelpthemselves. Beinga
nurse has allowedme tospeakup,andadvocate for the patientwhocouldn’t, andtoeducate those
whosimplydidn’thave the properknowledge base relatedtotheirpertinenthealthcare concern. So
much of health,illnessand the disparitiesthatexisttodayall boil downtopreventative measures.
Havingthe focus shifttodisease preventionandprimarycare insteadof the secondaryor tertiarycare
we have all become soaccustomedto will allotforbetterhealthcare outcomesovertime. Itisthisthat
drivesme as a nurse.Somuch of whatI saw while workinginthe hospital waspreventable giventhe
rightknowledge, tools,andresources. Itwas at thistime that I trulyrealized publichealthiswhereI
needtobe. I aspire tomake that differenceinthe community onaglobal level-sothatthe livesof
millionscouldbenefitforgenerationstocome.