A children’s book created by York University nurse educator Aldona Nowak is helping young readers learn about public health nursing, drawing on experiences that have shaped her work as an instructor and practitioner.
Over the course of nearly two decades as a course director and teacher at York University’s School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Nowak noticed something.
When she taught her undergraduate students about public health nurses, they often had little understanding of the critical role these nurses play in promoting health and preventing illness at the local level.
It is not an uncommon oversight, she notes. Nurses are often primarily associated with hospitals, doctors’ offices and bedside care. However, public health nurses – which Nowak was in the past – are important figures working beyond clinical environments, providing support in schools, homes, neighbourhood programs and more.
She began thinking about ways to increase understanding of the profession among younger people. The solution? A children’s book, titled The Health Adventures of Nurse Priya: A Story About a Public Health Nurse and Her Community.
For a long time, Nowak had been interested in writing children’s stories. At the same time, she had felt there was a growing and unmet need for books that help children build foundational health knowledge from an early age. “Teaching nursing students constantly reminds me of the importance of translating complex ideas into accessible learning,” she says.
With that in mind, Nowak wrote Nurse Priya, which highlights the everyday contributions of public health nursing professionals in a way that is both age‑appropriate and engaging, drawing from real experiences such as home visits, school programs and health fairs.
She wanted to translate and visualize – in a warm, child‑friendly way – how public health nurses support individuals and families. Rather than focusing on clinical treatment, the book emphasizes community care, prevention and education. It also reflects the broad range of public health nursing, including health education, disease prevention and promoting healthy habits across different stages of life.
In raising awareness about the work of public health nurses, she also saw an opportunity to help children understand their own role in building healthy communities, writing to ensure it wouldn't be a passive reading experience.
Nowak continually asked herself whether a page would spark curiosity or conversation, and wanted the book to encourage children to talk with parents and caregivers about well-being practices – from hand‑washing to supporting vaccine education, and more. “Health does not happen in isolation,” says Nowak. “I wanted children to see that nurses don’t work alone and that health is something we build together.”
This goal of accessibility naturally extended to inclusivity. Equity remained a central priority, which she integrated by collaborating with the book’s illustrator to ensure characters were diverse. “Representing diverse families and communities helps children see themselves in the story and understand that everyone deserves access to care, support and opportunity,” Nowak says.
Her time at York, and its emphasis on equity and community engagement, helped guide how she approached the book. She's heard encouraging feedback from families, and her students, who are using the book to spark conversations about health.
As she thinks about what she hopes readers get out of Nurse Priya, she has two different answers. She hopes young readers will feel curious and confident as they learn about health. “For all readers, I hope the story builds appreciation for public health nurses and the impact they have on keeping communities strong and healthy,” she says.
Nurse Priya will not be Nowak’s last book. Before the end of the year, she will publish another children’s book titled Jacob Goes to Nursing School, which will introduce children to nursing education – such as lectures, nursing labs and clinical experiences – and challenge stereotypes about who can become a nurse.