Nursing Profiles

Kelly B.

Baltimore, MD
MSN, MPH, RN, Clinical Instructor and Community Health Nurse

I never wanted to work in a hospital, so for years I didn’t consider a profession in nursing. However, I found that the hospital was not the only place where nurses practice. I discovered a rewarding and dynamic career as a community health nurse. In my position as a Clinical Instructor at a school of nursing, I have found variety, flexibility, independence, and autonomy. I spend two days a week teaching BSN students about the field of community health, and three days a week practicing as a community health nurse. My practice site is an inner-city transitional housing program that serves women with children who are homeless and in substance abuse treatment. There, I am the only health care professional and am looked to for assessment skills, an understanding of disease processes, and knowledge of resources within the community. I spend a significant amount of time with each family and observe them in their home environment—a much more holistic view than is possible from the hospital. I see first hand the barriers faced in achieving good health and work to help overcome those barriers.