Sashani Simpson, RN, BSN is a Master’s degree candidate at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland. She has practiced nursing for more than nine years at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Did you know that nursing is the most trusted profession in the court of public opinion, 16 years running?1 I did! But, I only found out last year and I have been a nurse for more than nine years. I may not know all the factors that feed into this opinion, but speaking as a nurse, we try to do the best we can for the most we can and those who cannot do for themselves. Currently, I am a pediatric emergency department nurse and I have taken care of many children over the years during their times of crisis. When I decided I wanted to do more primary prevention for some of those children, such as those in foster care, those who are homeless and/or refugees, I went back to school to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health Nursing at Johns Hopkins University.
Another little factoid for you… “Public health nurses (PHNs) represent [one of] the single largest group of public health practitioners working in U.S. state health departments (SHDs) and local health departments (LHDs).”2 I’m proud to say that I am on my way to contributing to that workforce. Maybe not in the same way - I like to forge my own path. But I believe my graduate school education and experience as a nurse will help me do just that – pave my own way in the field of public health.
For 12 weeks, I had the pleasure of interning at the Public Health Foundation (PHF) and it was an educational and eye-opening experience to say the least. At first, I did not know what to expect. What would I gain from this experience? Would it be worthwhile? Little did I know, PHF has been around for almost 50 years developing resources, tools, and training to give health organizations and individuals knowledge and skills that they need to improve health outcomes in the communities where they serve. But since you are on this site, you may already know about PHF’s unique value to public health practice.
During this internship, I was in contact with the health departments that PHF’s experts trained in all things related to quality improvement (QI) in order to ascertain how the training impacted initiatives related to health equity and social determinants of health, as well as if the training led to other practices, results, and outcomes. Through all the interviews and feedback from various agencies and people, I was able to appreciate a different perspective of public health. For me, one similarity between the nursing profession and PHF stood out. As nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, PHF is a solid foundation for all things public health. We share much in common: credibility, trust, and value to our fields of practice.
Nurses rely on evidenced-based practice to guide their patient care and to improve health outcomes.3 PHF conducts the public health systems research, then compiles, analyzes, and presents the data to advance the field. PHF operates at the individual, organizational, and systems level much like public health nurse’s scope of practice is at all levels based on the public health intervention wheel.4 Together, nurses and PHF are your quality coaches, helping individuals and organizations be the best they can be. Whether as a patient or a state/ local health department, our focus remains on sustainable outcomes and quality care.
The similarities continue. We are both the unsung heroes of the public health world. You may not always realize we’re there, but we don’t mind because a life saved is a life saved. That’s what matters. PHF is like that, it is an organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of life in your community, the health outcomes. They are cited and referenced in the fine (fine) print (yes, I meant to say that twice), but not always out front demanding the credit. They are training and educating professionals and volunteers on the front lines to improve performance and deliver effective, strategic initiatives that get the job done. Much like I tailor my discharge instructions for a patient going home from the hospital to their level of need and take the time needed to ensure they understand what I am teaching them, PHF meets the workforce where they are to achieve their desirable goals.
During my time at PHF, I learned that not every health department I interviewed saw the connection between QI training and the health outcomes they were trying to achieve. At the individual level, some may be unsure of how to embrace the QI culture way of thinking for fear that it may distract them from their mission and why they got into public health in the first place. This reminded me of my work as an ER nurse. Sometimes all you want to do is get through your 12-hour shift and help as many people as you can without someone forcing you to think of a new way to start an IV or how long to clean a surface and how many times to scrub the hub and with what particular agent before it’s used. When you’re a public health nerd with a mission, or a nurse with six demanding patients with immediate needs, you have to stay focused. There are lives to be saved. But how do you plan on saving those lives without the proper tools or the right foundation?
I may be new to the world of public health nursing, but I’ve barely scratched the surface of PHF’s capabilities. They are certainly one resource I will continue to use and share with my fellow colleagues. As a future public health nurse leader destined to lead the charge for change for some of the most vulnerable populations out there, with PHF in my toolbox, I will be a force to be reckoned with.
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1RBrenan, M. (2017). Nurses Keep Healthy Lead as Most Honest, Ethical Profession. Economy. Retrieved from http://news.gallup.com/poll/224639/nurses-keep-healthy-lead-honest-ethical-profession.aspx?g_source=CATEGORY_SOCIAL_POLICY_ISSUES&g_medium=topic&g_campaign=tiles. Accessed 24 May 2018.
2Beck, A. J., & Boulton, M. L. (2016). The Public Health Nurse Workforce in U.S. State and Local Health Departments, 2012. Public Health Reports, 131(1), 145–152.
3Stevens, K., (May 31, 2013) "The Impact of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and the Next Big Ideas" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 18, No. 2, Manuscript 4. Doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol18No02Man04
4Public Health Nursing Section: Public Health Interventions–Applications for Public Health Nursing Practice. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. of Health, 2001. Retrieved from http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/opi/cd/phn/wheel.html. Accessed 24 May 2018.