Nursing career: Role and responsibilities of a Public Health Nurse

Becoming a Public Health Nurse would be one of the most satisfying career options in Nursing Profession for the service-minded nurse who has a little extra patriotism and extra motivation to help the community or the State have a healthy population.

Who can become a Public Health Nurse?

As is the case with any other options in nursing profession, the basic qualification required to become a public health nurse is the normal 4-year degree course in nursing through any one of the affiliated nursing colleges, followed with license and recognition as a Registered Nurse. The number of years put in to the profession also plays an important in taking up the career as Public Health Nurse.

The role of a Public Health Nurse is to ensure that the health of the community at large is in good shape. It is the responsibility of the Public Health Nurse to monitor the health of the community, foresee threats for diseases of mass communication, plan accordingly for prevention of such diseases and also educate the community at large about the benefits of leading a healthy life.

The real challenge for a Public Health Nurse lies in promoting health of the children, adolescents and pregnant women. Educating the people about nutrition, adequate care in hygiene and precautions to be taken at times of calamities such as flash floods or spread of any disease is one of the very essential or prime responsibilities of a Public Health Nurse. He or She has to co-ordinate with other agencies, doctors and community services in maintaining the health of the community at large and the inhabitants of the community.

The role and responsibilities of a Public Health Nurse goes beyond healthcare assistance to a patient in a hospital setting. The responsibilities can be broadly classified into three broad categories – primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention.

As a public health nurse, it is essential that adequate steps are taken by the community at large before the threat of any disease affecting the community at large. A flash flood or thunderstorm might be the ideal cause for outbreak of diseases like cholera or other diseases. It need not be just a calamity. Possibility of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS/HIV are ever present in a community. Teaching the population about the importance of precautions, organizing promotional activities to create awareness among the people and educating the importance of prevention are the activities that come under the purview of primary prevention.

The responsibilities of a Public Health Nurse does not rest with primary prevention. A public health nurse should take all possible precautions and organize for carrying out tests to ensure that the diseases are discovered at an early stage, and the spread of diseases is nipped in the bud. For example, a screening test for colonoscopy will help in discovering whether the patient is suffering from or likely to be affected by colon cancer.

Tertiary prevention is another important thing that a public health nurse should be responsible for. He or she, on discovery of a disease, should provide scope for rehabilitation of the patient and also developing ways and means for management of chronic diseases that include preventive interventions.

CNABoard has more information on cna training and cna programs for nurses seeking cna career.

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Nursing ad campaigns take on the male stereotype

By Marisa Ramiccio
Source: The Orlando Sentinel

When young boys are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they're supposed to answer "doctor," not "nurse," because nursing is for women--at least that's how the stereotype goes.

But national ad campaigns are trying to eliminate that stereotype by asking men "Are You Man Enough to Be a Nurse?" The ads depict a variety of men some in nurse scrubs, some in sports uniforms or business suits--and provide a brief description of a hobby each man enjoys.

"I love [these ads]," said Christopher Blackwell, an assistant professor for UCF's College of Nursing. "When we get positive ads and positive characters on shows like 'Nurse Jackie' and 'House,' they break some of the stereotypes down," said Blackwell.

A study conducted by the Bernard Hodes Group in 2004 found the most common misperceptions about male nurses are that they are homosexual, that nursing is viewed as a more feminine profession, and that men aren't seen as caring enough to be nurses.

"When you look at stereotypes, you have two different kinds: public and professional," Blackwell said. "Because nurses work together, they know the gay stereotype isn't true."

However, Blackwell said that some female nurses may feel that men should be better at the technical side of nursing and that men can be seen as "muscle" for the female nurses who can't lift patients.

According to the Hodes study, 50 percent of the male nurses polled said they have encountered these kinds of stereotypes in the workplace, and 56 percent of the men polled said they encountered stereotypes in school.

Are the men in UCF's nursing school facing these stereotypes?

"I don't really know how much of a presence stereotypes have concerning male nurses anymore," said Joe Eichorn, a nursing major in the accelerated nursing program. "We have fun in class joking with each other about them. Other than that, it has never really come up."

Dominic Pham, who is also in the accelerated nursing program, says that the stereotyping he has faced has mostly concerned his Asian descent. "I've never really minded the stereotyping I've faced since none were ever truly malicious in my eyes," said Pham.

Stacey Grant, a first-year nursing student, says she used to believe some of the stereotypes herself. "I must admit, when I first entered the program, I did have a few stereotypes about male nurses stuck in my head. Some people may still think that 'murses' [male nurses] must be feminine or pre-med drop outs," Grant said.

"However, all of the guys I know in the nursing program are the 'typical' college student just trying to get an education," Grant said. "If anything, they get more attention than all of the girls."

Although there are many males who have not encountered stereotyping, the Hodes study cites stereotypes as a factor in the low number of males who have entered the nursing profession.

Of the 2 million registered nurses in the U.S., only about 5 percent of them are male. At UCF, about 2,250 students are nursing majors, but only 246 of them are male.

According to Blackwell, this is why using ads to recruit men into the profession is crucial.

"I think it's important [to advertise to men]. Having a strong male presence [in health care] is important," Blackwell said.

Pham also thinks this type of advertising is a positive step.

"I think there are very few situations where publicity is bad," Pham said. "Like other advertisements, even if it is annoying or controversial, attention is brought to it, which may trigger inspiration in those that have never considered [male nursing]."

However, many of the men polled in the Hodes study did not view the ads as positive.

"Many commented that in pushing the macho image, the ads were underscoring the stereotype that men in nursing are overwhelmingly gay or that nursing is not a masculine career choice," the study reports.

Masculine career choice or not, Blackwell said that if you work in a good team environment, the stereotypes won't matter.

"We did not care if you were male, female, white, black or Puerto Rican," Blackwell said. "What we cared about was that you were a good, productive member of the team."

Marisa Ramiccio is a UCF journalism student.
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel

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The Top 5 Areas of Nursing for Men

The following guest post was contributed by Wendy Graham who frequently writes about college related topics for Online College Guru. She invites readers to checkout online nursing degrees if they are interested in pursuing a career in nursing.

Nursing is one area that is currently not overly affected by the economy. The American Hospital Association estimates that 75% of all medical job vacancies in the U.S. are in the field of nursing and the Department of Labor lists Registered Nurses as the top occupation for job growth through the next decade.

According to the American Nurses Association, between 5 and 6% of all nurses in the United States are male. While men are still currently in the minority, nursing schools are seeing an increase in the number of males who are entering the nursing profession, particularly in specialty areas. Studies have shown that men enter into nursing because they want a challenging position caring for sick and injured patients that also has reasonable job security and good wages.

Unlike other nursing careers, Certified Registered Nurse Anaesthetists are approximately 40-45% male, according to the American Association of Nurse Anaesthetists. A CRNA collaborates with surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and other procedural healthcare providers to safely administer anaesthesia medications. CRNA’s must first achieve a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and hold a Registered Nursing license before being accepted into a CRNA program, which lasts about 24 to 26 months.

Military nursing is another field that has a strong following among men. Military nurses perform all of the duties of a traditional nurse, but may also be entrusted with a wider range of responsibilities. Careers in the military also have the added benefits of financial assistance, low-cost housing, specialized training, and world-wide travel opportunities. Nurses can enter into the field as Licensed Practical Nurses, but those with a BSN and RN can enter the service as officers. Military nurses also have the opportunity to continue their education with tuition paid.

Forensics is another appealing nursing career for many men, combining science with the caring atmosphere of traditional nursing. Forensic nurses document injuries and collect evidence for law enforcement agencies. They also counsel assault victims and testify against defendants in criminal trials. Most forensic nurses work in hospitals, primarily in the emergency department, or in the Medical Examiner’s office.

Surgical nursing is another nursing career that is drawing more men into the field. Surgical nurses prepare the patient before surgery, assists the surgeon during both major and minor surgical operations, and charts progress in the recovery room. Different positions within surgical nursing include scrub nurses, circulating nurses, and RN first assistants.

For men interested in entering into a nursing career, Male Nurse Magazine lists the University of Pennsylvania as the top male-friendly nursing school in the U.S. Rounding out the top.

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