This blog post by Ruth Schofield, Michelle Johnson and Shona Lalonde is the second of two that describe the work of Community Health Nurses (CHNs) as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. These blogs reflect the voices of CHN across Canada — their experiences, challenges and innovations, as well as ethical dilemmas they face.
This blog post by Ruth Schofield, Michelle Johnson and Shona Lalonde is the first in a two-part series that describe the work of Community Health Nurses (CHNs) as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. These blog posts reflect the voices of CHN across Canada — their experiences, challenges and innovations, as well as ethical dilemmas they face.
In this blog post, Knowledge Translation Specialist Dianne Oickle identifies new and past NCCDH resources that address how to incorporate the lived experiences of equity-seeking populations into public health work.
This blog post highlights an interdivisional resiliency project presented by Public Health Nurse Linh Nguyen (Toronto Public Health, pictured above) at the 2019 Community Health Nurses of Canada (CHNC) Conference in Saint John, New Brunswick. Contributors to this post also include Patricia Stevens, health promotion specialist, and Nicolette Slovitt, child health and development manager at Toronto Public Health.
I (Raymond) have been a Public Health Inspector (PHI) for over 15 years and currently fulfill the role of Environmental Health Specialist with Toronto Public Health (TPH) within the Healthy Environments directorate.
Looking back at the last 10 years I have worked in the field of environmental health, the most memorable and rewarding career moments all involved connecting with the public, educating others and effecting change. These are the moments that inspire me and motivate me to continue my career in public health.
In over 20 years of working in public health, I have seen how Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) can be effective advocates for individual clients, but knowing when to intervene in an individual case in the name of public health can be a challenge.
An ongoing challenge for those working to reduce inequities in health has been finding and using evidence, due in part to the traditional divide between research and practice. This challenge underscores the importance of public health organizations contributing to the evidence base. This can be done through mechanisms such as journal publications, reports, and blogs, and also through communities of practice.
Health Impact Assessment is a structured method to assess the potential health impacts of proposed policies and practices. When applied correctly, health impact assessments make it possible for staff to strengthen the health-enhancing elements of a plan, and minimize the aspects that may be harmful to health.
Targeting within universalism has been identified as a promising practice to reduce inequities in health. This practice focuses more intensely on improving the health of more disadvantaged groups through targeted programs, while at the same time offering universal services to improve the health of the entire population. This approach is often used in conjunction with the promising practice of supporting early child development. Public health programs are designed to support the healthy development of all children with a special emphasis on children living in disadvantaged circumstances.
