Published: Nov. 16, 2020
MCMASTER DEGREE:
BScN, May 2020
CURRENT POSITION:
I’m a Public Health Nurse with the City of Hamilton on the COVID School Team.
I work closely with the schools in Hamilton to promote safety and wellness, and to limit the transmission of COVID-19. We have been supporting school staff and families during this new and unpredictable transition back to school.
The schools re-opened in mid-September, and I started shortly after. The major roles of the COVID School Team include supporting and educating the school communities regarding all COVID-19-related matters, as well as case management and contact tracing.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY WORK:
There are many things I love about Public Health, however two things are most notable. One is the population health approach we take: our actions are aimed at benefiting as many people as possible, and we can see the effects of our actions on a large scale. The second is the focus on health promotion and disease prevention. We partner with individuals to give them the tools they need to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Upstream care benefits those at the individual level as well as healthcare and populations as a whole.
HOW MY EXPERIENCE AT MCMASTER HELPED ME:
McMaster is very focused on health teaching. During my degree, McMaster reinforced that there is potential for education in every single thing we do with a client. This promotes health and autonomy in clients, which is synonymous to what we do in Public Health.
In my third year I had a community health placement in an elementary school. We worked under the Public Health Nurse competencies and learned the many roles of the Public Health Nurse in a school. McMaster provided a very well-rounded experience and exposure to all areas in nursing. McMaster taught me many valuable skills that I would be able to apply to all areas of nursing.
THE PANDEMIC’S INFLUENCE:
I feel honoured to have graduated as a nurse into such a crucial moment in history, and to be doing my part to help my community while working alongside so many inspiring and dedicated nurses.