Nursing Student wanting to go into Community Health...advice?

I think it might be useful to do some hospital floor nursing just to get started so that you can 1) get your feet under you in nursing, become more independent in your practice, learn more and 2) be able to get a job in community health. Hospital peds or oncology would have a lot of young people. And, honestly, so will L&D. I had a friend in nursing school who did a women's health fellowship her first year out of school. They did rotations in medicine, L&D, and postpartum. Maybe student health would be a good place to start once you have a little experience. Or even school health for younger kids. I did a rotation during nursing school in a school-based health clinic at a middle school. It was awesome! But, because that is a very independent nursing role, you'll need to have a good general nursing foundation first. Good luck! I know what it's like to "figure it all out" and it is a great feeling!

I work in the nurse family partnership program. It is a nation wide nurse home visitor program that does education for first time moms. We teach health, parenting, do life coaching and general mentoring for these mostly teenage moms. It's a lot of fun. www.nursefamilypartnership.org

Hey there, like the OP, I would also like to work in community health. The thought of working in the hospital for 2-3 years to gain "experience" is common new nurse sense, but ...I want to try to avoid it if possible!

My ideal job would be to work in a large outpatient clinic and be able to do work in epidemiology.

However, given the job climate nowadays, I am not sure where to turn for my first job experience. I have considered nursing home as a good entry to the community medicine field. Most places don't seem to hire w/o experience. Working in primary care setting for the hospital experience as this would be a good segway to community health as well, but I haven't seen very many posting for these positions!

However, given the job climate nowadays, I am not sure where to turn for my first job experience. I have considered nursing home as a good entry to the community medicine field. Most places don't seem to hire w/o experience. Working in primary care setting for the hospital experience as this would be a good segway to community health as well, but I haven't seen very many posting for these positions!

What about something like a pulmonary and/or communicable diseases type floor-- you'd learn a lot about TB, HIV, etc. Or peds. I'd think about what population you most want to work with-- women, children, adults, geriatrics-- and see if you can find a position focused on that population group.

I work in the nurse family partnership program. It is a nation wide nurse home visitor program that does education for first time moms. We teach health, parenting, do life coaching and general mentoring for these mostly teenage moms. It's a lot of fun. www.nursefamilypartnership.org

I wish I could do something like this!!! I checked out the website but nothing available in my state This seems like a great job how did you find out about this position?

I agree that it is a good idea to work in hospital/clinical setting to build clinical skills.....however.....it sounds like you should consider working in a local public health agency...you know....a health department. We offer immunization clinic, STD testing and treatment, education, communicable disease investigation. There are lots of opportunities to teach...that is for sure! Good luck.

Well, that shows that it does vary from state to state. I am the senior Communicable Disease RN here at my health dept. and I have my associates=RN. We have a NP that runs the STD clinic with an associates/RN under her. The RN's that do daycare classes etc are a mix of BSN and associate degrees. So you need to check with your health departments to see what education is required.

Thanks for the information.

I am more motivated to finish school knowing that I have options to work in community health post-grad.

Squirt 2008, did you have to work in the hospital initially before getting hired by the health department?

After 10 months of school, I am even more doubtful that I will thrive in bed side nursing!! I am really passionate about public health and social policy instead and was hoping that getting a BSN will better prepare for an MPH later. The community health class we took at school was less than stellar but the concepts that were introduced (disease prevention, environmental health, disaster management) are EXACTLY what I would like to learn more about!

After 10 months of school, I am even more doubtful that I will thrive in bed side nursing!! I am really passionate about public health and social policy instead and was hoping that getting a BSN will better prepare for an MPH later. The community health class we took at school was less than stellar but the concepts that were introduced (disease prevention, environmental health, disaster management) are EXACTLY what I would like to learn more about!

I feel exactly the same way! I HATE bedside nursing and it's made me doubt my choice to even be a nurse. I majored in public health first as an undergrad and picked nursing for my second bachelor's degree, but all of these bedside nursing clinicals are killing me. I just want to be a public health nurse and I want to know that I made the right choice! Sometimes I think I should've just gone for the MPH and skipped nursing.

Pitya,

I think that nurses can make a positive impact in public health field. For example, what I noticed while learning in the BSN program is that the professors reiterate patient teaching. I think that the majority of patient teaching can be done through public health using nursing knowledge before the patients get really sick and admitted to the hospital (though some diseases, unfortunately still can't be prevented through public health efforts.)

The bedside concepts and skills we learn, such as trach care, can also be applied to patients seen in the public/community health setting. Straight Caths, for example, are used in a lot of children with spinal injuries for life, post-discharge. School nurses or home health nurses can help with teaching and managing infection control in this case, for example.

I think that in school, they teach mainly from a bedside nursing POV but there are really many avenues nurses can take with the knowledge. :)