Continued from Page 1

Vulnerable populations

When Capt. Kerry Nesseler, MS, RN, joined the corps in 1986, her first assignment was assisting in the implementation of a prenatal clinic on an American Indian reservation in rural Minnesota.

But before she could begin caring for the expectant moms, Nesseler, a mother of four, found she had to earn her patients’ trust.

“My patients were used to traveling 30 miles to a clinic off the reservation to receive prenatal care,” Nesseler said. “Many felt a sense of discrimination, and didn’t think they were always treated with respect.”

Nesseler, who has a master’s degree in maternal-child health, used her expertise to make her new patients feel welcome while also fostering an environment of mutual respect.

The program proved successful in offering expectant mothers education, home visits, prenatal care and access to prenatal specialists.

Mobility in the corps is encouraged, and Nesseler went from Minnesota to Atlanta to work in the Bureau of Primary Health Care. Two years later, she transferred to the CDC, where she worked on the national breast and cervical cancer prevention program.

“Over the years, I’ve been able to partner with a lot of other wonderful health care practitioners to globally impact patient outcomes for mothers and their children,” Nesseler said.

She cites the work of corps members in areas such as infant mortality, perinatal transmission of HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancies. Corps nurses assist in managing the Title V program that provides funding to all states for their maternal and child health programs. Corps nurses also provide direct prenatal health services and education in community health centers, Indian health clinics and hospitals and the National Health Service Corps.

Corps nurses also direct the Ryan White Title IV program that provides grants to organizations to reduce the perinatal transmission of HIV/AIDS. The nurses are involved in the overall efforts to educate the public about the risks of HIV, reduce the transmission rates, and provide treatment and care to people with the disease.

In addition, corps nurses are involved in directing the two “Abstinence Only” education programs that provide funding to both states and communities. Corps nurses also offer educational and clinical services to school-based health clinics.

“We’ve seen a significant decrease in the areas of infant mortality, perinatal transmission of AIDS and teen pregnancies in the last decade,” Nesseler said. “Our nurses are directly involved in policy development and implementation of national programs to effect positive health changes in these and other areas.”

Two years ago, Nesseler was appointed associate administrator for health professions in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration.

“In the past, this position has always been held by physicians,” she said. >>

“I’m excited and honored to be the first woman, as well as the first nurse, to serve in this job.”

With a budget of $882 million and a staff of 350, she directs a variety of health professions programs affecting the nation’s physicians, dentists, nurses, allied health professionals and health workforce issues.

One of Nesseler’s highest priorities is working to increase the ranks of nurses across the United States. She notes that by 2010, the country expects to have 808,000 openings for registered nurses.

“The secretary of the HHS is committed to alleviating the critical shortage of nurses in this country,” Nesseler said.

The federal budget for nursing programs is in HRSA, the Bureau of Health Professions, which Nesseler directs. She is responsible for overseeing funding for many programs that will increase the ranks of nurses including the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program; the Nurse Scholarship Program; the Nurse Faculty Loan Program; Nursing Workforce Diversity; and the Nursing Education, Practice and Retention Program.

“These programs all provide scholarships, loans or grants to individual students and practitioners as well as eligible nursing schools in the hopes of increasing the number of students entering and graduating from nursing school,” Nesseler said. “Some of the funds are being spent on examining the workforce environment for nurses and retention practices.”

In addition to the nursing budget, the bureau directs the National Health Services Corps, which unites communities with health professionals. The group provides partial repayment of educational loans and scholarships for health professionals, including advanced practice nurses, who serve at approved sites. The bureau also directs programs that help K-12 students to pursue a career in the health professions.