Spotlighting the Career of CAPT Haynes-Battle
March 2021 Mini Spotlight
CAPT Haynes-Battle
What does being a nurse mean to you?
Being a nurse means to me that I’ve been afforded the opportunity to care for patients and their families from various diverse backgrounds and with their unique needs. I accompany them for a little while on their journey during maybe the most difficult times in their lives. It means that I am there to educate them, provide prescribed treatments, support and care for them in a holistic way-that means mind, body and soul.
2020 has been declared the year of the nurse, when you think of what it means to be a USPHS nurse, what stands out most to you?
As a veteran of the Army Nurse Corps and now a USPHS nurse I can tell you that I’ve seen the same level of commitment to excellence in patient care that is based on honesty and on the highest level of integrity. I believe that we as a profession understand that this “public trust” is not to be taken lightly. With it comes a huge responsibility and accountability.
As USPHS nurses we continue to seek opportunities to learn and to develop our professional competencies to stand ready to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our Nation. Unlike our civilian counterparts, we have a very unique opportunity to be invited to many conversations around the table that are concerned with patient care (physical and mental health), public health, policy development, education, material development, contracts and grants management, to name a few, AND more importantly we have something to contribute. Being able to experience different duty stations and to learn about different cultures is one of the most enticing and rewarding aspects of being a USPHS nurse.
When people ask what you do as a USPHS nurse what do you tell them?
Over the years I’ve worked with patients and their families in various areas of nursing, providing direct patient care; but as a PHS nurse I’ve also had an opportunity to learn a lot about emergency preparedness and to assist people during natural and man-made disasters; and as a Contracting Officer Representative III and now as Division Director managing and overseeing substance abuse prevention and health promotion work at the community and state level, building prevention capacity to reduce the serious consequences of substance abuse on individuals and families, including special populations.
What opportunities have you had as a USPHS nurse that you may not have had in the civilian community?
I would not have been able to get such a vast number of assignments at various agencies and put in charge of major tasks, or simply put exercise servant leadership. I truly have enjoyed having the opportunity to present at the USPHS Scientific Symposium, and other major conferences on FASD and tribal issues which I’m very passionate about. Learning about the issue and being able to articulate the many challenges both populations face has been a life changing and extremely rewarding experience for me.
What is the best part of being a nurse?
The best part of being a nurse is that I’m able to be myself and live out my purpose in life which is, quite simply put, caring for people. I can tap into the part of my brain that’s responsible for my analytical thinking skills and judgement, and the part of my brain that’s responsible for caring, showing empathy and compassion for people.
Why is nursing essential to public health?
Nursing is essential to public health because we need people who work with populations rather than individuals, and nurses who work with the underserved and most vulnerable populations. Community public health nurses are crucial to the well-being of communities who depend on healthcare in clinics that they may not be able to afford otherwise.
