News

ADPH recognizes the nursing profession as a valuable component of providing care to the citizens of Alabama. The following is information related to the profession of public health nursing.

Nurses Were Where They Were Meant to Be To Save Baby

Every year, we honor our nurses for the hard work they do on Nurse's Day. This Nurse’s Day, however, would not go according to plan for DeKalb County supervisor Shae Lawson (pictured) and her staff nurses, Shelly Chapman and Mary Jo Reeves. They had planned to attend Nurse Instructional Day in Prattville, but were unable to attend for different reasons. Proving that fate is sometimes greater than our plans, we end up where we are meant to be instead.

About 8:30 a.m., a concerned mom and grandmother thrust a baby at one of the clerks at the front desk of the DeKalb County Health Department. The baby was there for WIC, but had vomited and started to choke. As they have been trained, a Code Blue was activated, and the nurses responded immediately. When Shae arrived in the lobby, she was handed the unresponsive infant and was told, “We think he is choking.” She and her staff immediately assessed the baby who was not breathing. Rescue measures were started, and emergency services were notified. The ambulance arrived a short time later, and much to the relief of everyone, the baby was breathing again and placed in the recovery position.

The baby continues to recover and improve and get the necessary medical care he needs. Baby’s mom stated on social media: “Thank goodness we were around a bunch of nurses that knew what they were doing. Otherwise, I truly do not think we would be where we are right now.”

Administration and nursing leadership agree. “Shae and her team are rock stars. She is a great leader and ensures her staff are prepared for anything. We truly believe it could have been a different outcome if it were not for Shae and her staff’s actions that day. They were where they were meant to be.”

Nursing Instructional Day 2026

The Alabama Department of Public Health held its 2026 Nursing Instructional Day on May 7 during the National Nurses Week observance. The event provided valuable instruction and education to health department clinical nurses and aides. State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris welcomed and thanked the staff for their dedicated service and care. The event allows clinical nursing staff time for instruction, networking, and celebration.