Stories from the Field

We follow the stories of two public health nurses working directly with clients who are unhoused, underhoused, or living on the streets. Our final guest discusses harm reduction at a population level. All three of these nurses provide insight into an average workday, advice on the kinds of skills that are needed to do their work, and suggestions for nursing students planning out their next steps.

This episode will introduce listeners to two different areas of public health nursing practice: leading a population health promotion campaign, and working in a school health role. We’ll learn about the development of a large-scale campaign to support effective parenting; an example of how public health nursing can influence the entire population. Listeners will also hear how the school public health nurse works with students, teachers, principals, and parents to support the physical and emotional health of children and youth. Each nurse will offer a peek into a typical work day. While their roles are different, similar skills in collaboration, advocacy and innovation are foundational to their work.

Two public health nurses will share the challenges and successes they’ve experienced while supporting childbearing age families. We’ll learn about assessing, planning, and implementing a prenatal group program for new immigrants. We’ll also discuss working closely with postpartum families to meet their breastfeeding and infant feeding goals. Both of our guests demonstrate how developing trust, and connecting on the client’s terms, are key to making a positive difference in the lives of new and soon-to-be parents!

The COVID pandemic has been an unprecedented time for public health, and nurses stepped up with passion and commitment in a big way. Our guest describes how nurses facilitated contact tracing, set up large scale vaccination clinics, and provided vaccines to people of all ages, in multiple settings. The stories you’ll hear offer a glimpse into what public health nurses in Ontario faced during COVID, and how they embraced the challenge.

In this episode, we’ll talk with a nurse whose interest in the field was sparked after she was the recipient of nursing services as a pregnant young mother. She’ll reflect on her current work: harm reduction specific to opioid use and the extensive process to develop a community drug prevention strategy. Observations about community engagement, addressing fear-based perspectives, and reflecting on personal bias will be highlighted for listeners.

We discuss the upstream approach, one-on-one work, and policy development with two chief nursing officers in Ontario. We’ll learn what they love about public health and why they’ve stayed in this field for a combined 44 years. Listeners will gain an appreciation for the difference that public health nurses can make within their communities.

Why does someone become a public health nurse? A brand new podcast for student nurses, featuring real stories, candid conversations, and snapshots of practising nursing in Ontario. Coming September 2021.