What options are there for public health nursing?

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What options are there for public health nursing?

Dear Nurse Beth,

At the age of 40, I decided to quit my career working in global health to pursue my long-time dream of becoming a nurse. I graduated with my BSN, worked in L&D for 1 year, before realizing it was too much for me. The rotating shifts, high-acuity patients, and unsafe staffing ratios caused me so much anxiety and I was extremely unhappy and insecure. I am now working as a school nurse and enjoying the more relaxed pace and family-friendly work schedule.

I do find myself not feeling settled, though. I miss aspects of my work in public health where I focused extensively on designing programs to increase access to reproductive, maternal and child health services in resource-poor countries. Can you give me some insight into what other nursing opportunities exist that might better help me continue to advance my nursing skills, while also taking advantage of my public health experience? How do I blend the two better? I feel school nursing is a start, but wondering what other options exist out there? Thank you!

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4 Answers

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Wondering,

Congrats on realizing your lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. I often marvel at how many opportunities nurses have. Like most people, I didn't know that nurses can be teachers, salespeople, administrators, counselors, vendors. You can work with healthy people, sick people, dying people and families. You can work with individuals or populations. You can be a writer. Some nurses are on their feet all day, others work in front of a computer all day. I could go on and on.

You have an impressive background and experience. Have you looked into public health?

Public health holds many different roles for nurses, and the first step for you may be getting into the system. From there you can look around and discover a good fit. You can also consider advancing your education and pursuing certification.

A BSN with global health experience sounds like a marriage made in heaven. There's public health nurses, program management and health education, epidemiology, project coordinators.

Use indeed.com or another recruiting platform/search engine to start getting ideas. There's also a public health speciality forum here on allnurses. You could also reach out to your public health or community health instructor. You most likely did some type of public health rotation. Talk to her about career opportunities.

Best wishes! I'm excited for you ?

Nurse Beth

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Your past experience + your MPH is worth more from a public health perspective than a community health rotation during school could ever be. Get out there and apply! Don't discount how your past roles augment and enhance your RN license. Good luck to you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my query.  I failed to mention that I do also have my MPH.  Unfortunately, COVID hit right in the middle of my nursing school and our community health rotation was unfortunately not able to happen - other than virtually.  I will keeping searching Indeed for any interesting opportunities.  I do worry that my lack of nursing experience holds me back from some positions, but I guess I'll just keep trying! 

Thank you Lunah! I appreciate the vote of confidence!

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