Hired at the local health department

Specialties Public/Community

Published

:yes: Hello folks.

Just was hired at the local health department, my role will be the immunization nurse. I am thrilled and look forward to weekends and holidays with my family. I been working in Psych/med unit in the hospital so this will be so different.

Any advice is welcome, sure I will be posting as questions come up. There is a long probation period a year, I assume this is the norm?

Pay is less, however the commute is so much closer. I praise Jesus for this job I believe I will bloom in the position. So much to learn.

Keep looking up. :yes:

Specializes in Public Health, Women's Health.

I'll be interested in the responses too. I was just hired also and I'm so excited to start.

Congratulations! Sounds like a wonderful change of pace for you. I hope you enjoy your new job :up:

Congratulations!!!! New journeys so nice to share. Looking forward to it as well. This site is awesome for support.

Specializes in Public Health, Women's Health.
Congratulations!!!! New journeys so nice to share. Looking forward to it as well. This site is awesome for support.

Definitely! Thank you. We will have to share our experience. I start in a week.

Specializes in OB/GYN,PHN, Family Planning.

I worked part time in Public Health for the county doing home visits for high risk maternal/child health. It was an excellent experience but ultimately took another job at a not-for-profit public health/family planning clinic as a management position. I worked with the most dedicated amazing nurses but they were frustrated at their situation. They have had pay cuts every year and are making what they made 10 years ago! Many excellent nurses left as a result of this "dead end" pay and little respect from management. This was just the office I worked for in California and hopefully the ACA will pour money back into public health and realize its importance. I love public health and am in the last 4 classes of my MSN with a specialty focus in public health. Then contemplating DNP??

Sounds all good I do not start till the 21st. So excited.

Specializes in Public Health, Women's Health.

I start next Mon/Tues :) ill let you know how it goes.

I work for a H.D. I do Child Health and immunizations. Our immunization nurse recently left but everyone is trained to fill in. I like it.

Enjoy! Childhood immunizations are complex, but it is rewarding to learn the recommendations, educate/counsel parents, master the schedules with the multitude of vaccines, & know that you are contributing to one of the greatest contributions to the health of the public in the past century. Props to ya! As for learning the schedules, I has a few of tools up my sleeve I'd like to share that really made my job easier (this may be overboard; sorry):

1) The "Ask the Experts" section of immunize.org. You can sign up for monthly newsletters as well.

2) The Epidemiology of Vaccine Preventable Diseases Online Webcast & accompanying "Pink Book". The course is long, but it's broken up into sections.

3) The Childhood "Catch-up Schedule"

Links are below:

http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/epivac/default.htm#demand

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/catchup-schedule-pr.pdf

Enjoy! Childhood immunizations are complex, but it is rewarding to learn the recommendations, educate/counsel parents, master the schedules with the multitude of vaccines, & know that you are contributing to one of the greatest contributions to the health of the public in the past century. Props to ya! As for learning the schedules, I has a few of tools up my sleeve I'd like to share that really made my job easier (this may be overboard; sorry):

1) The "Ask the Experts" section of immunize.org. You can sign up for monthly newsletters as well.

2) The Epidemiology of Vaccine Preventable Diseases Online Webcast & accompanying "Pink Book". The course is long, but it's broken up into sections.

3) The Childhood "Catch-up Schedule"

Links are below:

http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/epivac/default.htm#demand

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/catchup-schedule-pr.pdf

Wow this is fabulous, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I am anxious I realize it will just take some time, I am sure the links will help, anything to make things easier. I believe this position will be rewarding, and again thanks for your words of encouragement and wisdom. If you think of anything else please share, thanks again. :)

Specializes in Public Health, Women's Health.

I just did some non clinical training today, I'll let you know how my actual hands on goes tomorrow!

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