Whereas specializing in the present well-being of the general public, they have to additionally plan and prioritize future approaches to forestall illness and promote well being to be able to hold our Warfighter inhabitants wholesome and match to combat and win. Inside their very own small group, PHNs depend on collaboration to establish methods to scale back inefficiencies and advocate for alternatives to impression Warfighter readiness.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Collaboration was the concept behind the Well being Promotion (HP)/Warfighter Wellness (W2) Champion Coaching/Assembly hosted by the Navy and Marine Corps Public Well being Heart (NMCPHC)’s Well being Promotion and Wellness (HPW) Division, held August 22-26, 2022 in Virginia Seaside. Following that profitable occasion, HPW spoke with CDR Tracy Krauss, NC, US Navy, DNP, MPH, MS Public Well being Specialty Chief, OIC – Tetrad, to get her insights on Public Well being Nurses and their function, each now and sooner or later.
“Public well being is an enormous subject, spanning many disciplines reaching into varied different fields,” mentioned Krauss. “That’s why profitable collaboration expertise are a should.” She pointed to the significance of occasions just like the Well being Promotion/Warfighter Wellness Champion Coaching/Assembly and the chance to be within the room with so many specialists. “It allowed us to collaborate on applications, initiatives, coalitions and way more.”
This emphasis on teamwork is important to the success of PHNs and the primary focus of their work, which is the well being of the group, surveillance and illness prevention. Such a multi-faceted function requires “a holistic method to group wellness,” mentioned Krauss, because of the geographic, academic, financial and social components that may affect well being. “PHNs are liable for breaking down limitations to well being fairness.” Overcoming these obstacles make it potential “to develop and maintain the capability to fulfill present and future challenges to public well being whereas sustaining the progress already achieved.”
Heroes in Motion
Breaking down limitations and dealing with no matter public well being threats come their manner make PHNs the epitome of heroism. As they endlessly wage the combat for inhabitants well being, Krauss sees an getting old inhabitants, together with altering racial and ethnic patterns as high points, coupled with the expansion of data applied sciences and health-related partnerships and transformations in well being care, comparable to supply programs and public well being work pressure wants.
The Path to Public Well being Nursing
With so many socioeconomic points on the rise, the demand for Public Well being Nurses is rising. In accordance with Krauss, the popular path for a PHN is a graduate diploma in Public Well being, though another choice is to finish the 1940 core competencies with a Public Well being Nurse. The competencies are a set of foundational information and expertise to assist public well being organizations put together for accreditation, meet coaching wants and enhance efficiency, along with finishing two further programs by way of the Navy Marine Corp Public Well being Heart and acquiring one yr of labor expertise within the specialty.
Finally, the work of a PHN is that of selling the well being of communities. “Though we will work with sufferers one-on-one, our major focus is on the group as an entire,” mentioned Krauss. As heroes for well being, we will rely on PHNs to stay robust of their combat towards the ailments and the causes that put Warfighters and the complete inhabitants in danger.
For extra on the HP/W2 Champion Coaching/Assembly hosted by the NMCPHC’s HPW Division, held August 22-26, 2022 in Virginia Seaside:
https://www.dvidshub.web/information/430073/champions-public-health-now-and-future
