Working Life: Vicky Fitzgerald, public health nurse

Vicky Fitzgerald is a public health nurse from Cloyne, Co Cork

6.45am

Like any household with children to organise, mornings are fairly chaotic. My husband David helps with getting Ciara (14), Niamh (9) and Shane (12) out to school.

9am

I check and return phone calls/emails to clients and colleagues. I’ve been working as a PHN in Cloyne and surrounding areas for seven years. It’s a rural setting with a mixed social environment. I deal with a broad spectrum of patients, from newborns to adults, with a strong focus on child and family health and the over 65s.

10am

This morning I am running a child health clinic where we conduct developmental screening of children up to primary school entry. We measure height and weight gain, general development and discuss concerns parents may have. If necessary, we refer the child on to the community medical doctor, GP, speech and language therapist, and/ or other health professionals depending on the issue.

Lunch

A quick sandwich in the car.

2pm

I’ve been notified by the maternity hospital that a mum in my area has been discharged with her newborn baby, so I carry out a home visit within 48 hours. I measure height, weight and head circumference and undertake a full head to toe of the baby. I listen to the mum and give advice about looking after her newborn.

Discussions include sleeping and eating patterns, immunisations, home safety and offering breastfeeding support and information. I carry out metabolic screening — the heelprick test — if it wasn’t done in the hospital. We also discuss the mother’s health and wellbeing.

3.30pm

Much of my workload revolves around elderly care. Today I conduct a number of home visits for wound care dressings and meet an elderly man with diabetes. I give advice about managing this chronic condition and information about how best to meet his health needs. I also run a wound care clinic at the health centre one morning per week.

I assess patients for respite care/ homecare packages and attend pre-discharge team meetings in the acute hospitals. I need to ensure appropriate services are in place.

5.30pm

Before heading home, I plan my workload for the following day. It’s a wonderfully varied job requiring lots of forward planning.

Family life involves the usual comings and goings, with strong involvement in the GAA.