PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING DAY 1 OCT 12

Darlene lives in an apartment not far from the itinerant apartment where I am staying. I opened my door at 8:30 am to find her shoveling the stairs and ramp outside. At least three inches had accumulated since I shoveled it the night before last. Darlene came in to visit while I finished getting ready. She was dressed in layers. One of them was a kuspuk she’d made, a light summer parka made of colorful fabric. I asked if I could pay her to make one for me as she is making quite a few to sell at an upcoming crafts fair. They’re beautiful and a traditional piece of clothing among the Eskimo people.

Nellie picked us both up in a Borough vehicle and off we went, me to my orientation at Human Resources and them to the Wellness Clinic. I left HR an hour later, fully informed and signed up for the various benefits provided to employees of the North Slope Borough. Medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage begin immediately and after 90 days, I can begin to use annual leave. Am not counting the days quite yet…winter has not really even begun.

The Wellness Center staff are all very warm and personable. I liked each of them right away and will look forward to getting to know them better in the weeks ahead. Ressie and Susan who work in medical records along with Nellie, are from the Philippines, but have both lived in Barrow for many years. Lilianna is from Cuba and has also lived here for a long time. She is a CNA and seems to be indispensable, on top of many details and endlessly helpful. She also volunteers with the local fire department as evidenced by commendations on her wall.

Michelle and Bertrand are the other two public health nurses and both very willing to share information with me as I’ll be trained to do what they do. Each PHN has their own exam room to do well child assessments, immunizations and parent education. Mine is next to both of theirs and is fully stocked with organized files containing information about assessing developmental levels in children from birth to age 20, brochures and other educational material, posters, immunization schedules and of course, stickers and band aids. I’m really feeling like a nurse today!

I’m sharing an office with Bertrand and am very grateful. He has worked as a travel nurse in hospitals on medical surgical, ICU, and respiratory units, etc. and has been working in his current position for over a year. I was told that he is excelling as a public health nurse, so will be grateful for all that I can learn from him.

Darlene and Bertrand are participating in an online Public Health Nurse Academy. I was able to listen during the teleconference Darlene was a part of this morning, facilitated by a nurse in Anchorage. The discussion was about assessing communities and about the importance of learning about local practices and how they are impacted by governmental presence.

I joined Michelle and Mary Ann, a nurse who came over from the hospital, in giving 71 flu shots this afternoon…I think I gave close to 25. Participating made me think that I’m going to love being a public health nurse. The quality time with each client and the comradery of the staff and clients made it a very enjoyable afternoon. Knowing that the vaccinations could prevent some serious and life-threatening cases of the flu was very meaningful as well. After we finished up, Michelle and I gave one to each other and because she had a report to write, asked me if I would give Julie, the Deputy Director of Physical Health hers. No pressure = )…my first day of work and asked to give a shot to my boss’ boss. It went well and we ended up talking about going to the lecture on polar bears together tomorrow.

After completing my training, I’ll be assigned to one of the most stable villages, Kaktovik, on Barter Island, east of Barrow. The current population is close to 250 people. Immunizations and documentation are both up to date there and relationships between the Health Department and the schools are very good. I will work at building a good rapport with the community health aid as they are the primary source of medical care with the Public Health Department augmenting with their services for a week four times a year. There is a lot to learn and I'm ready.

One of the most enjoyable things about working in Kaktovik, I’m told, is that out of the second floor clinic window where my office will be, I will always be able to see dozens of polar bears. The current count there is 80. It’s standard practice to run from the vehicle you’re riding in or driving to the clinic door. Hearing about polar bears is becoming a nonchalant topic of conversation, but I haven’t seen one yet. While walking back from Barrow the day before yesterday, I was very tempted to climb the snow berm to look more closely out on the Arctic Ocean. Realizing though, that a bear could easily be thinking of climbing the berm from the other direction cured me of my curiosity…just wouldn’t be worth being eaten so quickly after arriving.

For anyone considering a visit to Barrow, I learned that once every three years Inuit from other areas of the North Slope, Canada, Greenland and Russia meet in Barrow for three days to celebrate the Messenger Feast, or Kivgiq in order to renew family bonds and keep traditions alive. The staff at the Wellness Center, even those who have lived here all of their lives or for many years, told me that each one is unforgettable with Eskimo dancing, singing and gift exchanges. I feel very fortunate that one is being held this coming February.  I'll post the dates as soon as I know them for anyone interested in coming up for it.

Is so nice to be here, although at times it feels like a dream.