Public Health Field Nursing

Staff provide population based services to individuals and groups and participate in interagency collaboratives that contribute to our community’s achievements in improving health. The primary focus of the work of the PHN is individual case management and health interventions and education with clients in both mandated and grant funded programs. For each population served, we seek to design systems of care that help the majority of clients achieve improved health outcomes consistent with their personal goals, community goals, and specific standards. Our practice is guided by professional and program specific standards, and incorporates the eight core competencies of Public Health Nurses in California:

• Nurse-client relationship & management of client health/illness status
• Community assessment, assurance, and advocacy in population based services
• Environmental assessment and intervention
• Professional role – coaching functions
• Monitoring and ensuring the quality of health care practice
• Education of clients, families and the community
• Epidemiology

Our work is linked with the community’s needs via the Community Assessment Projects goals and areas of focus. 

Public Health Nursing Programs

• Communicable Disease Control and Prevention
  Diseases that can be spread from person to person either directly or by way of food or water are reportable to the Health Department, and a Public Health Nurse will contact the reported case to investigate. It is important to determine where the disease has come from and where it has spread to, and to institute measures to halt the spread. Vaccines and medications are often part of the prevention plan and can be recommended or provided to the case, contacts and/or family members.   
  • Immunizations
  • Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Control & Prevention
    A Public Health Nurse will contact people who have been diagnosed and/or treated for a sexually transmitted disease such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, PID or Syphilis. The nurse will provide education and counseling about the infection, partner notification and may even be able to provide antibiotic treatment to healthy partners in certain cases
  • Tuberculosis Screening and Reporting Guidelines
    The purpose of this program is to provide investigation of all suspects and cases of TB and provide treatment, consultation to private providers, and contact follow up. Services are provided in both the patient’s home and in the Health Department Clinic.
• Family Health Programs