What Is Public Health Nursing?
Public Health Nursing (PHN) improves the well being of communities by promoting health and preventing disease, disability, and premature death among all residents of Las Animas and Huerfano Counties. PHN improves the quality of neighborhood life by working in partnership with community residents to create the conditions that ensure healthy lives.
Vision: Public Health Nursing strives to promote healthy people in healthy communities.
Community Partner
Serving as a voice for all, public health nurses work in partnership with consumers, local organizations and other health care professionals to look at the total needs of an individual or community. This means they are working, hand-in-hand, with community members focusing on the strengths in a community, developing solutions, and overcoming obstacle. From beginning to end, these highly-specialized nurses link communities with care for improved community health.
Problem Solver
Public health nurses are part of the first-line of defense against disease and illness. Using proven practices, strategies are developed for improving health conditions by examining the overall health needs of families in communities. Strategically, these health professionals find, track and treat diseases before becoming a crisis. In a time of disease outbreak, like measles or hepatitis, public health nurses are ready to immunize anyone who has been exposed to a life-threatening disease.
Care Coordinator
For improving health outcomes. Public health nurses link clients and their families with supports and services that meet individual needs. A connection forms between the client and nurse which helps to assure continued participation in care and treatment. The results are powerful-teen pregnancy and infant mortality are reduced. Pregnancy outcomes improve and babies are born healthier. Individuals are in better control of high blood pressure or diabetes.
Health Educator
Whether it's in a school conducting classes those who cannot come to a clinic, public health nurses are providing prevention education on becoming healthier, staying healthy and having control over one's health. With some issues like HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, these caregivers go beyond traditional education and become gentle listeners and counselors. They teach new parents skills to become better mothers and fathers.
Public Health Nursing Services
- Blood Pressure Checks
- Cholesterol Checks
- School Health Education
- Tobacco Cessation Education
- Pregnancy Testing
- Flu Shots
- Immunizations Adult and Childhood
- Medication Administration Training
- Standard Precaution
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Diabetic Education
- Diabetic Exercise
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Glucose Testing
Communicable Diseases
- STD Testing
- Syphilis
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- STD Medications
- HIV Testing
- TB Testing
- Free Condoms
- In-services
- Communicable Disease: Surveillance, Investigation and Reporting
Tuberculosis
We offer tuberculosis (Tb) testing Monday through Wednesday by appointment only for $10. Please call 719-846-2213.
Forms and Resources
Release of Immunization Record
Healthy Eating, Healthy Weight Brochure - English
Healthy Eating, Healthy Weight Brochure - Spanish