Nursing Supervisor Sees Potential In Sacramento Home Health, Hospice Care
Audra Flynn, RN, M.S., PHN, COS-C is the nursing supervisor of the home health program at UC Davis. The program provides registered nursing care, physical, occupational and speech therapies, social work and home health aide care to patients in their homes.
"We are currently piloting a few unique programs aimed at enhancing health for individuals who do not qualify for traditional home-based programs such as home health and hospice."
Flynn is hands on, but not without having hit the books. She received her Master of Science degree in Nursing Science and Health Care Leadership from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
Flynn said, her education has helped her to view things in a bigger, more transformative way. "I see the potential and future of home health and hospice in a way that I hadn't before. Now I am in a position to help shape how health care is delivered outside of traditional care environments as the focus of health care shifts from hospital-based care to prevention and treatment outside of the hospital setting. I am better able to recognize and meet the changes and challenges in a progressive way."
What inspired her to enter this field? "When I first started nursing many years ago, there was an emphasis on holistic care - providing care in a manner that encompasses more than just the illness, but rather the whole person. This really resonated with me, and I found that there was no better way to provide patient-centered care than in their homes. Home health immerses the nurse in the patient's culture, and the nurse is then able to address the various factors contributing to a person's health status."
"Prepare to be challenged and fulfilled. One of the most rewarding things you can experience is the ability to help someone improve their life. That is what nurses do. Health care is constantly changing and evolving. It is truly a dynamic field which makes it an exciting and energizing career choice."
Karen Hansen M.S. Earth Sciences, has been an educator and consultant who is currently an analyst regarding land and other public information records. She lives and works in Sacramento, CA. She has been writing about earth and the environmental sciences for Examiner.com since May of 2010. Find her work in several sections of the publication. You can find her work at SF Solar Energy Examiner, SF Environmental News Examiner and Environmental News Examiner
