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INTRODUCTION

Abby will soon start her public health nursing clinical and is struggling with the idea of practicing nursing outside the hospital. She is discussing public health clinicals with Alberto and Sia at lunchtime. “I can’t imagine myself out in someone's home or in a school or in a community center or public health agency. I’m not sure I know what I’m supposed to do. I also wonder how I will be respected if I’m not wearing scrubs and a stethoscope.”

Abby asks, “Is it really true that one of the most important skills in public health is listening and that sometimes that is all you do? I feel like I should be doing something more.”

Alberto responds, “My friend Zack had his public health nursing clinical before COVID started. He said that it was interesting to consider listening as its own intervention. It was hard to not jump in and teach immediately. He often wanted to do more. After awhile, he started to get comfortable and also started to understand the benefits of truly trying to understand the perspectives of people in the community.”

Sia comments, “I worry about all of this, too. I was talking with Jen, a friend of mine who took public health last year. Public health nurses of the agency had started making in-person home visits again. She said that on her first home visit, she accompanied her public health nursing preceptor. This gave her a chance to gain a sense of the family's needs and possible interventions.”

Abby says, concerned, “I am worried about being out there alone. I wonder what the neighborhood where my family lives will be like. Will everyone be wearing masks and practicing social distancing? I worry about whether I will be safe.”

Sia responds, “I am making visits virtually with my preceptor, so I am not worried about safety. I’m curious about the various public health nursing roles that we may be able to observe virtually and in person. I am wondering what I will be able to do. It seems like the field is so broad and we have so many things to consider.”

Alberto responds, “I guess we have to assess our clients’ health status and find out what they want. We need to understand them and figure out what we can do to help them. So I guess it makes sense that we would be mostly listening, teaching, and counseling. Did you know that the words listen and silent have the same letters? I guess we need to be silent to listen to our clients!”

ABBY'S NOTEBOOK USEFUL DEFINITIONS

Client (syn. patient): The individual, family, community, population/subpopulation, or system that is the public health nurse's (PHN's) focus of care. The word patient has its roots in the Latin pati—to undergo, suffer, or bear. The origin of the word client is the Latin cliens: a follower or retainer. A contemporary synonym is customer or recipient of ...

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