Got the Job!!! (Health Dept.) - page 3

Congrats! I've been at the health department since October last year and love it. I work with the Nurse Family Partnership. I work with low income, first time mothers from pregnancy until their children are age 2. I did a internship in public health when I was a student and loved it. I had graduated 2 years prior to finding this position at our local health department, I was excited to find an opening when I did! I don't miss working holidays, nights, or weekends!

I love love love my job at the health department.

Whew!! Please say a prayer for me! I have an interview on April 13th with my local County Health Department and am excited and nervous! I worked in the hospital environment for 14 years and have been in the LTC setting the last year. Public Health is what made me want to be a Nurse to begin with and at the age of 42, I am so excited for the opportunity for the interview and am praying I am what they are looking for. I definitely have all of the experience in all of the skills that Nurses do and one of my passions as a Nurse is actually being able to teach patients and their family members about their illness, injury or disease process. I hope they find I am a good fit. All prayers and advice accepted!!

I hope you like PH. It's not for everyone, and yes it will take you a year to be competent. There is a lot to learn, especially if you are going to be cross trained. But if you grow to love it, you will stick with it. Remember the community is your patient, and the tasks you do in the clinical setting matter to the larger picture.

Glad you like NFP. We just got funded in Northeastern NC and are recruiting for 4 BSN nurses! I have been to Denver and the program is awesome. Can't wait to get the staff in here!

I love my phn job, too! I started working here December of 2011. It is my first job right out of college. It is exactly where I am supposed to be. I don't mean to sound like a baby, but I couldn't do 12 hours shifts! The autonomy is glorious. The pay is decent (I probably make about 2 dollars less than a new grad in the hospital). I love no nights, no weekends and holidays off.

Unfortunately, I have been sick recently (pseduotumor, blah), and my supervisors and administration have been SO accommodating. I feel really lucky because I know I wouldn't be able to have taken off as many days as I needed to if I were in the hospital. As a PHN they told me to take care of myself. Since it is just my first year, I don't have very much personal/sick time, but they agreed to let me have leave without pay. That's fine by me, as long as I get to keep my job! I am very lucky and extremely happy to be in this position.

My co-workers are the best. Like you, I love the autonomy of my position. There is still so much to learn. I love it!!

Hello, I just had my 2nd interview at a county health dept. today and am so excited about the prospect of getting this job! Especially after reading everyone else's comments about how great it is to be a public health nurse!!!

I've always wanted to spend more time educating and actually feeling like I make a difference every day! I think it's going to be the perfect fit for me.

The pay is less than what I've been making, but they sure do make up for it in benefits!