Villanova
Nursing students promote health to disenfranchised populations
College of Nursing BSNExpress students over the summer promoted
health among Hispanic immigrants at the St. Agnes Nurses Center in West
Chester, Pa., a clinic for individuals who do not have health care
insurance. The eight students spent their
clinical days at the center as part of four-week clinical option for their
health promotion course.
The students were under the direction of assistant
professor and BSNExpress Program coordinator Maryanne Lieb, M.S.N.,
R.N., who is also the founder and director of this nurse-managed clinic
which opened in 1999. Prior to arriving at
St. Agnes, the students analyzed the migrant community and its health needs,
identifying several areas in which the families could benefit from
additional information and support. Students developed teaching tools and
later presented classes in Spanish on topics including first aid and safety
practices and healthy eating. Children were provided with much of the same
information, in a manner appropriate to their developmental level. The
children also participated in a program that highlighted a variety of
occupations and professions. Realizing the high incidence of diabetes and
hypertension in this population, the students performed ongoing health
screenings and provided educational materials focusing on prevention and
management of these conditions. Healthy lunches and snacks, as well as first
aid kits, bike helmets and smoke alarms were provided to allow for continued
healthy practices.
The connection that occurred between the population
being served and the students was immediate, warm and mutually beneficial.
The patients expressed their overwhelming gratitude for the efforts and
involvement of the students. They appreciated the students’ commitment to
maintaining their cultural identity in all aspects of the experience and for
their efforts to communicate in the Spanish language. Through word of mouth,
client participation increased week to week.
The students were professional, well prepared and
sincerely interested in learning more about the Hispanic culture. They
embraced this opportunity to expand their nursing experience to a community
in need. The BSNExpress students are second degree students, many of
whom had successful careers in other fields before deciding to become
nurses. Their varied backgrounds, maturity level and previous personal
experiences assisted in their efforts. They showed their creativity by
finding needed materials at lower cost and contacting area businesses for
donations.
Foremost in the students’ minds was their commitment to
providing educational programs that were realistic and could be continued by
the participants after the conclusion of the clinical program. Although
established community services and programs were introduced to assist with
this continuity, the most significant outcome was the identification of key
people in the Hispanic community who evolved as leaders and knowledgeable
resources.
The Villanova nurses hope to return in the future to
continue this relationship and widen the impact of the health promotion
effort. Through this involvement an awareness of the complexities
surrounding poverty as well as a deeper appreciation for the role of the
nurse in the community will be developed.
The experience was made available to the students in
part due to a grant from the Wachovia Foundation Community Service and
Diversity Fund. The overall purpose of the grant was to provide financial
support to volunteer efforts focused on increasing the health of the
community and providing opportunities for the students to design a sustained
partnership with a community group. |
