By Hope Kadlecek, Public Affairs Coordinator, Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH)
May is National Nurses Month, a time where we step back and celebrate those vital to creating a healthy and flourishing community. As we come out of the Public Health Emergency around COVID-19, we reflect on the impact nurses have in saving lives. A recent study of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) found that when dealing with their care team, patients spent 86 percent of time with nurses and 14 percent with doctors.
Nurses are trusted advocates, spending time with their patients and communities to hear about their unique needs and challenges. For communities of color that are disproportionately impacted and face discrimination and racism in accessing healthcare, having nurses that care and advocate for their needs is truly life or death.
At JCPH, our public health nurses support our community in many ways, like vaccines, routine testing, access and information about birth control and emergency contraceptives, HIV counseling and testing, pregnancy testing, STI testing and treatment, information about cancer prevention and so much more. Our nurses also provide services to people in all stages of life, from administering routine immunizations to infants to offering preventive care services to older adults.
Another nurse-run program is the JCPH Bridge Clinic, a low barrier, harm-reduction based clinic for the treatment of opioid use disorder with suboxone and naltrexone. It is designed to be a short-term program that “bridges” patients to long-term care with community providers.
JCPH’s public health nurses also offer high-quality home visitation services to new and expecting parents, infants and young children and their families. Home visitation nurses meet community members where they are — literally and figuratively — and connect them to important care, resources and community during the critical transitions of parenthood and early childhood.
So much of JCPH’s work wouldn’t be possible without our public health nurses. For more than 20 years, nursing has been voted the most trusted profession by the public in Gallup polls. That is what makes public health nurses (and all nurses) so powerful and vital — trust. Together, let’s find and bolster ways we can provide nurses with more support, more equity in the workforce and listen to them when they reach out for help. Nurses are important members of our community and deserve the same work-life balance as we all do. From schools to clinics, nursing homes, residential care, inpatient or outpatient care, hospitals, outreach care and, of course, public health – nurses are the backbone of our community’s health. If you know a nurse, or the next time you’re in the care of a nurse make sure to thank them for all they do! At JCPH, we are so grateful for you all!
About Jefferson County Public Health Public health is what we do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote health in our neighborhoods and communities. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is a nationally accredited health department committed to promoting and protecting health across the lifespan for all people through prevention, education and partnerships. To learn more about JCPH visit https://www.jeffco.us/public-health. You can also follow JCPH on Twitter @JeffcoPH, Instagram @JeffcoPH and Facebook @jeffcopublichealth .
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
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