Calling All Ph Nurses

Specialties Public/Community

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Ok, So I have been offered a job with PH, I wanna hear from you PH nurses, do you like your job, what do you do? How long have you done it? What are the pros and cons?

Any info. help.

Originally posted by valk

Hi Hellllllo,

I've been working public health since 1992. My health department hires BSNs as Public Health Nurses & Diploma & Associate Degree nurses as Jr. Public Health Nurses. Supervisory positions require an MPH.

Last time I checked there were @ 100 openings for Jr. PHNs.

Why not check with your local Health Dept? Good luck.

Valk

Can you tell me more about this? I posted on this site a survey to assess other health department's nursing salaries. I am attempting to work with our HR department to better the situation.

What is the amount of experience required to work as a nurse?

What is the usual salary?

Is there other benefits that the organization provides in leu of pay? (ie: pay for nursing license, overtime, CEU opportunies etc)

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I just recently saw an ad for a public health nurse for the next county over. They required a BSN, MSN preferred, all for 22,000/yr. I can't see taking that kind of a cut in pay.

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I have been working as a PHN for a local Health Department for 5 years now. My position is mainly Case Management for pre-natal and children up to age 5. I work with a very large diverse population and yes some of the homes are less then desirable places I would choose to live in for myself. But the hours are great since I have school age children at home. The pay is much less than in the hospitals, but I make up for that by working occassional holidays and week-ends at a near by hospital. So I have the pleasure of working in two kinds of worlds. And working in the hospital keeps up my skills not to mention the hospital money will come in handy for when I send my oldest child off to college in 2006.

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I have been a PHN for the Salt Lake Valley Health Dept. for the past 11+ years, the last 9 in Communicable Disease. I like the autonomy and diversity of the job. We are respected by the local medical community, and are often called upon by physicians for consultation. I case manage TB patients, and follow up with patients reported to us with everything from Amebiasis to Plague. It's very interesting work. And yes, you have to be ready to work with criminals, drunks & addicts, and the unmotivated homeless. But you also work with many very appreciative people who really need your assistance. And you get the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a difference in protecting the public's health. We also work lots with refugees, which is often a challenge due to language and custom barriers. The hours are great (Mon-Fri, 8-5), no calloffs/callbacks. The salary is often less than hospital work, but the working conditions make up for it. In our dept. a BSN is preferred, but not required, although the carrer ladder is easier to climb with a BSN (an MSN is even better).

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For those of you lookign for work in Public Health..Don't forget to look into the U.S. Public Health Corps. It is a branch of the military. You'll be an Officer, The pay isn't bad. It's mostly working in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, or the Indian Health Service where you would work on Indian Reservations.

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For those of you lookign for work in Public Health..Don't forget to look into the U.S. Public Health Corps. It is a branch of the military. You'll be an Officer, The pay isn't bad. It's mostly working in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, or the Indian Health Service where you would work on Indian Reservations.

U.S. Public Health Service Commisioned Corps.

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I've only been in public health for a year, but it is the best job I've had in 18 years of nursing. The pay is not great but the benefits are wonderful- 40 hour weeks, enough CEUs to start my own college and opportunity for new experiences continuously.

Hi i am a Nursing in the UK hoping to live in Florida. Currently I work in NICU (but previously was a Health Visitor I hold Diploma in Nursing, additional qualification in NICU, Bsc in Midwifery and Bsc in Specialist practitioner- Public health/Health Visitor) and would love to get back into public health/health visiting once i get to US. Do you think I have much chance of sucess??

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Hi i am a Nursing in the UK hoping to live in Florida. Currently I work in NICU (but previously was a Health Visitor I hold Diploma in Nursing, additional qualification in NICU, Bsc in Midwifery and Bsc in Specialist practitioner- Public health/Health Visitor) and would love to get back into public health/health visiting once i get to US. Do you think I have much chance of sucess??

good luck. im starting my BSc (hons) specialist practioner- public health (health visiting course) in 3 and half weeks. Hope you achieve what you want to do :)

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