Heart of Health: Public Health nursing ‘makes me happy’ – Jenny Sharkey

Jenny Sharkey finds immense fulfillment in her role as a Public Health nurse, viewing the privilege of aiding those in need as her greatest reward. 

“I’ve always liked helping; it just sort of fills my cup, so to speak,” says the Elmsdale nurse who works in the health protection field, primarily focusing on communicable diseases. “I view nursing as more of a calling than a profession. It really gets me going and makes me feel good.” 

Jenny says her mother, a retired nurse, inspired her entry into pediatric nursing before joining the Public Health team in Nova Scotia Health’s Northern Zone. 

Nursing has been Jenny’s livelihood since the early 2000s and she is, like the Loverboy tune proclaims, lovin’ every minute of it. 

“Being able to help somebody when they’re really struggling makes me happy,” she says. “To be able to sit with someone and have a discussion and help them through a time that's really vulnerable for people, it’s gratifying.” 

Jenny and her team work in the realm of infectious disease notifications. They help people manage their illnesses and work together to stop diseases from spreading. They take on many important and case-specific tasks along the way. The work is “never boring,” she says. 

Her team encompasses nurses, health inspectors and promoters, along with a medical officer of health. The work supports health protection, especially when it comes to rolling up one’s sleeve for an all-important vaccine or receiving sound guidance and reliable information that helps prevent the spread of infections. 

“The folks we connect with have dealt with challenges in the healthcare system for any number of reasons; whether it be living conditions, poverty and may be in an underserved area. Part of our job is connecting with communities and we connect with people,” Jenny points out.  

“We could be helping them get a prescription or we could be educating them about some type of illness they’ve come down with or maybe it involves having a conversation with the person’s family, so they know what’s going on. There are a lot of different pieces to what we do.” 

As to what keeps Jenny motivated, it’s the drive to help and make a difference. 

“It could be as simple as helping somebody get a drive,” she says. “We may be answering questions over the phone, letting someone know lab results. Another time, we very well might be having a clinic at a school, working on immunizations. These are the kinds of things that keep me going.” 

Jenny relishes working with a team whose goals and objectives involve collaborating on Public Health programs and looking out for the best interests of others. 

“I’m proud to say I’ve done some work on my own that’s paid dividends for others, but being a part of a group approach, that’s something I also love,” she says. 

“It’s great to be a part of something meaningful. As a team we can look at something and talk about different ways to problem solve. Being able to be that helpful voice, like I said, it fills my cup and makes me proud of what I do.” 

Photo of Public Health nurse Jenny Sharkey.