I LOVE Community Health

Specialties Public/Community

Published

I have been working at a community health center for about 2 months now. We are more a group of centers than one location. We are not public health, are not owned by the government, but we are run primarily by grants and donations (as well as medicaid, insurance and copays). We have three centers that caters to your more "standard" patients (regular insurance, medicaid, underinsured) and then we have an immigrant clinic, a clinic on the bottom floor of a transient living community (i.e. apt rented to formerly homeless) and caters primarily to homeless and formerly homeless people, and a twice weekly clinic that is run out of the corner of a homeless shelter and handles homeless people exclusively. We are HUGE on education and preventative care, have MANY programs available to help the poor/homeless/immigrants get the care they need, often at the expense of our center and at times, at the expense of us personally. We have taken up a collection to obtain pain meds for a man who broke his leg and couldn't afford to buy his meds (he was going to take tylenol for a leg shattered in 6 places b/c he couldn't afford the meds). Last week I donated a backpack to a homeless man who's meds kept getting stolen so he could keep them on him at all times, and the week before I took a stack of coats donated by our Director of Nursing and we hung them in the lobby at one of our centers that caters to the homeless and they were gone (more than 20) in less than an hour. We give antibiotic injections to people who don't know where their next meal is coming from and who worry about if the shelter will have a "freeze night" so they can get in out of the weather.

This is what I do, day in and day out. I love my job, and I cannot even remotely fathom ever going anywhere else. When office politics gets me down, or the standard work blues hit, I remember these people and what I am doing for them, and it almost makes me cry because I am so happy to be able to do the little bit that I do for them.

On top of all of that, I work 8:30-5:30 Monday-Friday and am never ever going to be called in to work nights or weekends.

I feel truly truly blessed.

Jennifer (who was seriously questioning why she went to nursing school, and is so thankful that she didn't listen to that voice on those 'dark rainy days')

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Specializes in Peds/Newborn.

I am so happy for you. that job really sounds awesome. Sounds right up my alley. I have really been looking for a community health or clinic position. It must feel great to be part of a facility that goes above and beyond for the clients.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

DRD - I'm so glad to see someone else who loves community health. I work mother/baby right now, which I also enjoy immensely...but community is my first love. I worked at a CHC for almost 3.5 years and only quit because I wanted more time at home with my son (working weekends now). It could be taxing and frustrating but I went home every day knowing that I'd done something good for someone else. And the quality of care we gave was really top-notch, better than a lot of private docs I've been to! I still take my son there for his care - I don't trust him with anyone but the PNP I used to work with.

Great to see someone as enthusiastic as you are!! :up:

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Specializes in Acute rehab/geriatrics/cardiac rehab.

wow.. I just left hospital nursing after about 6 years. (3.5 as a staff RN working at the bedside and a year and a half as an Adult NP. I left my NP job after tiring of workin 10+ hours a day at a job which required a 3 hour round trip commute Monday through Friday. I am now working as a Community Health Nurse Practitioner for an organization that sounds similar to yours. Low income, uninsured folks. I now work 8 hour days, Monday through Friday and have found Community Health very laid back. Still getting used to not having to run to "rapid responses" and the hospital regimen, and I have no plans to go back to hospital nursing.

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You are describing my dream job and I appreciate hearing your passion. For me, circumstances are keeping me in a hospital environment. That's fine for now, but next year I hope to be doing what you are. Good for you!

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That's great! I actually work in the same type of center....it provides care of anyone regardless of ability to pay, includes prenatal, primary care, pediatric care, dental services as well as a rapidly expanding homeless program that's already at several sites!! Not to mention all the parenting classess, home visits, family center, etc. I LOVE it too! I've done nursing home work, rehab nursing, critical care for several years in the hospital and homecare....I finally feel like I've found my home! Took a big paycut of course, but it is SO worth it!! :o)

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Specializes in Peds general and ICU/Comm. Disease RN.

Similar story here...I was in Pediatric ICU for nearly 15 years and then came to my Local Public Health Agency! I love it! We don't provide health services like many others do....we have WIC, immunization clinic, STD, education, environmental, and my department....communicable disease investigation. I work M-F 8-5. No weekends, no holidays. I love (most) all of the clients we serve, ha. Every day is something new and I feel like I am doing something GOOD>

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

I also worked in a community health network which had 5 health centers in 4 counties serving migrant agricultural workers as well as the poor, uninsured and underinsured residents in the area. It was wonderful work which I thoroughly enjoyed. The only reason I left was because my family relocated out of the area.

Hopefully, community health centers will benefit from health care reform and more will spring up all around the country providing not only comprehensive medical and nursing care to deserving people...but will also provide excellent primary care nursing experience and jobs for nurses.

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When I posted this I was working at all of our sites, and since this time I've been hired full time at our homeless clinic. I love it beyond words. I hate office politics, but the patients and the out of the box way we need to do things at this clinic are just amazing. I spent the last 20 minutes searching for a pair of size 10 sandals to donate to a patient, stopping just short of taking my husband's favorite sandals, lol.

Its hard work for less pay, but I still love it none the less. (even when I spend two weeks hunting down people who have evaporated into thin air, lol) I see so many people who are disgruntled and deadened to the plights of others. I hope I never become like that, and can continue to come home thankful for every convenience I have in my life...down to the clean clothes and shoes on my feet, forever.

Jennifer ...the helpless romantic :)

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg.
Jennifer ...the helpless romantic :)

The world needs more helpless romantics who love their job. Thanks for your post :) :yeah:

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Thanks for the inspiring words Jennifer. I left the pre-BSN track the first time in college to major in community health education (boy do I wish I had known back then the BSN was exactly what I really needed). Now I am considering going back for the BSN and eventually pursuing a MPH and working public and community health. I think I would like the school-age population the best, but really, the whole field of public health is interesting. At this point I really have zero interest in hospital nursing and have been doubting whether that would make me a "real" nurse or "worthy" of taking a spot in a BSN program. Your words are more helpful than you know.

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hey mmt, why do you say community health was a waste of time? I was actually in the bsn program also but dropped out to major in public relations. And now i really want to go back and finish nursing. I was actually thinking about getting another bs in community health as well i thought it would be useful like for working in the cdc or a health department. How has that degree helped or not been useful to you?

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