Got the job....

I'm with all of you. I'm currently in med/surge and hate it. I have been waffling from area to area in my mind, as far as which area of nursing would be a better fit for me. I believe that public nursing may be it. As it is, I've always thought that I'd love to be a school nurse, and that is just one area of public nursing. I also would not mind working in the health department at all.

The pay cut though... I just don't know if I could ever afford it. I am the primary breadwinner in my household. My husband is a cook and makes a very small paycheck. Even with the job I have now, we struggle. So, I don't know what is worse... the stress of my job, or the stress of not ever having enough money.

Hey there. I'm in the same kind of situation. But, I've decided to go for it. I applied for an opening at the local health department and IF I get the job I've decided that I'm going to go for it. Some how we'll figure out how to do it with less $$$...I have 2 school-aged kids and I don't want to wake up 10 yrs. from now regretting the fact that I've missed so much with them.

Everyone, please keep your fingers crossed for me that I get the job!!!!

:roll

Congrats on getting the job! I am in the same boat you were- I started on a telemetry floor in June and now am on 3 NEW prescriptions- 3 of the peopel hired with me have also had new issues with GERD, blood pressure and colitis. I interviewed for a public health job and the money is about 8 grand less per year- but at the PH job I would get great retirement (work would put in 14% of my salary) vs the hospital which will put in 30 cents for each dollar I put in...not to mention I can keep my origional knees and hips longer:chuckle

Congratulations, Allie. I am a Dec. '04 graduate, took a position on a med-surg floor in Feb. quit in June. I felt working afternoons in a high stress job left nothing of me for my family. I was miserable. In Oct. I took a position at the county health dept. I love it! I took a large pay cut but the benefits are better, so if I figure the increase in benefits into the mix, the pay cut is about half of just comparing salary to salary. The hours and holidays (I'm off the same holidays my kids are) are fantastic. I'm so happy! My job is primary care, so I'm educating healthy people and directing them to services to keep them healthy...and hopefully, out of our understaffed hospitals. I love education and I love having a caseload of clients whom I'll really get to know. Although I studied PHN, my nursing school really seemed to gear up its graduates to enter hospital nursing for the money. Our dean met with us individually to ask what our job prospects were, what the pay was and if that pay met the minimum she thought we should earn. Their program looks better, if they can say their graduates average salary out of school is $45K rather than $35K. What the dean did not say is that the almighty dollar does not buy happiness!

Hi everyone, I just joined today and am intrigued by all the interesting posts. I have worked in Public Health in Ontario, Canada for the past 6 years and have been pretty happy with my choice. Worked in L&D for 10 years before that but left after I had a baby. I couldn't stand the thought of being away for 13 hours at a time and missing out on the family weekends and being so tired all the time after working nights.

Now I work part time, only days during the week, have regular guaranteed hours, paid vacation, benefits and relatively little stress. The work is very different and mostly program planning and health teaching in groups and one on one over the phone in my job. My workplace is a healthy work environment and the people are great. It can be a rather 'political' environment at times but office politics are everywhere.

Our province is investing a lot in public health right now so we are hiring alot. Only nurses with a BScN and the hourly rate is on par with hospital rates. There's no turning back for me..

Happy in Public Health!!!

I became a Public Health Nurse after 18 years of hospital work and it has been the best thing I have ever done! I love it, love it, love it. I work for a County in California and there are plenty of opportunities to experience different types of public health nursing as well as plenty of opportunities to advance. Besides, I have my weekends and all of the holidays. I can work an extra shift in a hospital as a per diem nurse. You can always go back to hospital nursing should you not like public health nursing.

Please let me know what your job(s) are like. I just applied for a position, but probably won't get it, as I don't have the experience they are asking for.