88 HEALTH MATTERS
me & my Job
Getting to
kno
W y
ou...
The public health nurse has been
+ Catherine Rotte Murray with her medical bag,
described as a clinician, manager and about to make a house call.
health promoter, and I would concur
NAME:
with this, as a typical day incorporates all
Catherine Rotte-Murray
these roles to some degree! I look after all to enable them to coast through life. I would
JOB TITLE:
Public Health Nurse (PHN)
eligible patients in a defined geographical give a substantial sum to Concern for their
BASE:
area – including new mothers and infants overseas projects. I would take a year out to
Old Parish, Dungarvan,
and children up to school entry, older travel the world, overland as much as possible
Co. Waterfor
d
persons and those of all ages with chronic as I love road and rail journeys.
HOW LONG HA
VE YOU
conditions and disabilities.
WORKED WITH THE HSE?
WHO IS YOUR HERO AND WHY?
Seven years – since September
ARE THERE ANY DRAWBACKS TO Besides my husband Jan and our four
2002, when I commenced as a
student PHN.
YOUR JOB? children, and my mother, I would count
DESCRIBE YOUR JOB IN FIVE
One downside to being a rural PHN is that it Aengus Finucane, the co-founder of Concern
WORDS?
can get quite lonely. I am a sociable person who passed away recently, as a real hero.
Holistic, enjoyable, challenging,
who enjoys company and not having regular He was a giant of a man who showed
fulfilling, unpr
edictable.
contact with colleagues can be isolating. compassion and steely determination in
equal measure. He earned respect from
WHAT BOOK WOULD YOU RECOMMEND those in all walks of life for his contribution
TELL US ABOUT A TYPICAL WORKING DAY: AS A GOOD READ? to humanitarianism, and he made Concern
Every day is different and as a PHN I have a The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver the wonderful international development
lot of autonomy. I manage my caseload and is a long-time favourite. Set in the Congo of organisation it remains to this day.
prioritise my work according to recognised the 1960s during the Civil War, it recounts the
guidelines. Every day there are clinical duties, struggle of the newly independent country WHAT REALLY BUGS YOU?
often (but not exclusively) with older patients to as seen through the eyes of an American A pet peeve is the frequent mangling of
carry out clinical procedures such as wound evangelical missionary family. the English Language – the Greengrocers’
management, dressing leg ulcers, pressure Apostrophe (apple’s and orange’s) and lazy
ulcer prevention and management, giving WHICH MOVIE WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE spellchecking and proofreading really bug
injections, monitoring blood pressure, post- BEEN IN? me. Misuse of words – phase for faze, and
discharge care like suture removal and caring I seem to be on an African theme but it would incorrect use of there, their and they’re or
for terminally ill patients, where family support have to be Out of Africa for its nostalgia factor, your and you’re are some examples. For an
is hugely important. with the spectacular aerial scenery of the otherwise tolerant person, this unleashes my
New mothers and their babies are visited endless African plains. inner pedant, and I run the risk of becoming
by the PHN within 48 hours of coming as cranky on the topic as Lynn Truss and
home, and I always feel privileged to share WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE THING John Humphrys.
such a momentous occasion in a family’s YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED?
life. I aim to establish a good rapport with The birth of each of our four children was
the mother and father; it is essential that this truly memorable – particularly the firstborn. I
+ Catherine's
favourite movie;
first visit is not rushed, as it is the foundation went into labour in the Tanzanian bush and
Misuse of words is
stone for a relationship that will last for the had to endure a six-hour, 70 mile drive over
one of Catherine's
next four or five years. corrugated dirt roads in a Land Rover pick-up pet peeves.
As health promotion is part of my at the height of the rainy season, arriving at
role, I sometimes participate in training the hospital in Kasulu at dawn.
courses and speak to public and voluntary
groups, and this requires preparation IF YOU BECAME A LOTTO MILLIONAIRE,
for a presentation or talk. I visit the local WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
parent and toddler groups weekly, where I Share it among my four children to get them a
concurrently run drop-in Well-Baby Clinics. house and give them a start, but not enough
health matters is 4.indd 88 27/11/2009 20:53:31
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