Getting to Know a Public Health Nurse

I’ve enjoyed giving all of you a glimpse into what a Communicable Disease Control Nurse does on a daily basis. As you can probably tell, many people are involved in the day-to-day tasks that help keep our community safe and healthy. Some of the most important people with whom we collaborate include our department’s Environmental Health Specialists. Not only do they participate in certain types of disease investigations, but they have expertise in a wide range of environmental issues. It is now my pleasure to introduce to you to Carla Opp, Environmental Health Specialist.

Getting to Know a Public Health Nurse

By this time, I’m sure most of you have heard about the Salmonella outbreak related to products containing certain types of peanut butter. It still amazes me that epidemiologists are able to narrow down a source for a national outbreak affecting hundreds of people. One of the exciting parts of my job is that, often, I get to be involved in these investigations. With this outbreak, I had the chance to interview someone who had become sick with this particular type of Salmonella.
Certain illnesses are required to be reported to the state health department, and every day our team is notified of Jefferson County residents who have tested positive for a reportable condition. Salmonella is a “reportable” illnesses, and after receiving the original report, I started our standard investigation for Salmonella infection. After the first interview, I heard from the state health department that this individual “matched” an outbreak being tracked nationally. From there, we did more and more focused interviews. Initially, this individual thought the illness came from eating some undercooked chicken or cleaning out the cage of a pet snake. (Both legitimate ways of getting a Salmonella infection.) After further interviews, we discovered that peanut butter sandwich crackers were eaten 6 to 7 times each week, prior to the illness.
Though we regularly deal with diagnosed illnesses, at times we receive reports of illnesses in the community that have not yet been identified. School nurses may call to report a rash illness in their schools, or a nursing home may call for guidance with an outbreak of a diarrhea in their residents. This can start with a call to one of the communicable disease control nurses, and depending on the situation, different people within the county health department may become involved. For example, a person who calls with a complaint of getting sick after eating at a restaurant may need to speak with an Environmental Health Specialist. Other situations require intervention by our epidemiologists. Each person plays different roles at different times, but the overall goal is the same- to protect Jefferson County citizens from infectious diseases.

Getting to Know a Public Health Nurse

Recently, the health department’s International Travel Clinic received a card from a couple who spends most of their time traveling… something I wish I could do. They spent most of 2008 going from country to country, covering much of the world. The experiences and places they described were unbelievable, and included everything from exploring some of America’s typical tourist destinations, to visiting remote parts of India and Africa. Of course, they realize that seeing the world is not without risk, and talked about a particularly scary experience after getting a nasty infection while traveling through Asia.

Time and time again, the travel clinic nurses hear stories of dangerous situations, bizarre illnesses, and instances when our clients were less than careful. But without fail, these people want to see more of the world, and continue to do so. Part of what I love about the International Travel Clinic is giving our clients the opportunity to see how the rest of the world lives while giving them the tools to maintain their own health. Diseases such as yellow fever and malaria are not concerns for residents of the United States, but are a part of life for many people in other countries. Something as simple as drinking tap water may be dangerous to your health in some parts of the world. I admit that I often take for granted the fact that I have clean water to drink, fruits and veggies to eat, and adequate medical care should I need it. But I’m happy to say that the travel clinic nurses can help keep people healthy while they explore the world!

Getting to Know a Public Health Nurse

Okay, so when I was first approached about doing a blog on what it is to be a Public Health Nurse, I was excited although a little apprehensive. My name is Keara Biller and I have been a Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment Public Health Nurse for a year and a half. I work in the communicable disease control and immunization programs, and my days are never the same.

I started nursing by doing my requisite years as a hospital floor nurse, but I find myself more mentally stimulated by the job I have now. The human body is an amazing thing, and being the daughter of two health professionals exposed me to this fact from a young age. Nursing fit well with my interest in medicine and helping others; I just had to discover what area of nursing would become my niche. As much as I enjoyed working with patients in the hospital setting, I hated the fact that some of their conditions were, to a degree, preventable. For many, a simple lack of education or access to preventive health care created situations that warranted a hospital stay. Every day I met people who didn’t know enough about diet and exercise. Others had no idea that smoking cessation programs exist to help them. And some were hospitalized because of vaccine-preventable diseases like influenza and Hepatitis B.

I remember seeing a framed quote in a doctor’s office when I was very young…. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Of course at that time I had no idea what the quote meant, but it has now become the philosophy I apply to many areas of my life. If only we could get everyone to think like that, this nation (and world) might be a much healthier place.

Being a Public Health Nurse is an intriguing job. It truly gives new meaning to the saying “Learn something new every day.”