Public health nurse Kasey Mauro prepares a COVID-19 vaccine shot at the regional clinic in Westborough last month. PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

Hopkinton public health nurse Kasey Mauro has announced that she is resigning, with her last day scheduled for June 4.

In a message posted on her website, Mauro explained that when she took the job in late 2019 she was hoping to spend more time with her family. It did not work out that way.

“This past 1.5 years has challenged me in so many ways that I was not anticipating when I accepted the position,” she wrote. “It was my goal to leave the bedside and hospital nursing to be able to enjoy my family, have weekends off and a normal sleep schedule. However, in a pandemic, public health nursing is anything but those things. It is busy, chaotic and the workload is relentless.

“I was able to get through the hardest of times because I was lucky enough to work alongside an amazing group of people. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing, thoughtful, funny and caring people. We are so fortunate to have such intelligent, caring and compassionate people in our leadership roles in town. {Health director] Shaun McAuliffe and [Fire] Chief [Steve] Slaman both deserve an award and recognition for how hard they have worked over the past year to ensure the best outcomes for all (and for talking me off the ledge a few times when the Jersey girl in me was getting too rowdy). Even though I won’t be a part of the emergency management team after June 4, I trust we are in good hands. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken away and cancelled so many things but I will always remember and be grateful for the friendships that I have formed.”

McAuliffe expressed disappointment in losing Mauro but indicated he understood her decision.

The town has begun a search for Mauro’s replacement, posting the job on its website Tuesday.