University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 25, March 27



             Nursing in '90s provides real-life experience
     
     Eight UD senior nursing students were student nurses in
action during a special Winter Session course, working in
the community in such diverse areas as a church, an AIDS
clinic, on site at a business and at locations to reach
traditionally underserved Delawareans.
     "Student nurses in action" describes what the students
did; it's also the name of course in which they were
enrolled.
     Coordinated by Bethany Hall-Long, nursing, the UD-
community partnership was a win-win program. The student
nurses gained hands-on experience in a variety of health
care roles and learned about the public health care delivery
system while each community agency received approximately
158 hours of service, she said.
     "In addition to caring for the sick and disabled,
today's nurses are involved in everything from health
education to public policy making," Hall-Long said.
     "Nurses are learning to 'color outside the lines' and
take health care to where people work, play or pray-at the
grocery store, a truck stop or a church-in other words, the
real world," she said.
     During Winter Session, student Shawn Walker worked with
Principal Health Care of Delaware, a managed-care facility.
He assisted them in their reaccreditation process, tracking
children's immunization records.
     He also worked at one of MBNA America's health-care
facilities, helping with screening and learning about
wellness programs and nursing at a business site. At Richey
Elementary School, he was involved in health education,
giving talks on safety and wellness.
     Walker, who has a part-time job at Christiana Hospital,
said the program "provided a variety of experience in a
short time."
     Heather Baker was assigned to the REACH
(Resources/Education/ Access/Care/Health) for Healthier Kids
van that visits five high-risk neighborhoods to distribute
information and to link parents and caregivers with
available resources.
     The staff goes from door to door, handing out fliers
telling residents about the REACH van, encouraging them to
visit. Then, while their children are entertained at the
van, the parents or caregivers learn what services are
available to them and are linked to different agencies for
followup.
     "I am continuing to volunteer on the REACH van because
it performs an important service, while studying for my
nursing boards. I am interested in pediatrics and
psychosocial issues, and this combines both," Baker said.
The van, sponsored by Family & Children Services of Delaware
and The Family & Workplace Connection, is supported by
Zeneca Inc.
     Jennifer Duffy worked at Wilmington Hospital's HIV/AIDS
clinic, with an emphasis on perinatal care for women who
tested HIV positive.
     "There are medications that help prevent the disease
from being passed from a pregnant mother to her child, and I
was involved in helping these women learn about their
options," said Duffy, who also was involved in organizing a
conference for HIV/AIDS caregivers in the region.
Additionally, she helped train volunteers who assist those
with AIDS.
     "Not only was the hospital clinic experience helpful, I
learned a lot about community health and the role of
government, not to mention the red tape involved," Duffy
said.
     Nancy Clough was involved with Chester Bethel United
Methodist Church's health ministry program, helping with a
blood pressure screening and health education program for
the congregation in North Wilmington. She also helped
develop a health survey to assess members' emotional,
spiritual and physical needs. "Developing the survey as a
useful tool in the health assessment of a community was a
good learning experience for me," she said.
     The nurses participating in the pilot Winter Session
course were in the college's accelerated program for
students who have degrees in other fields. This semester,
the course is being offered to traditional senior nursing
students in a less intense format, Hall-Long said.
                                         -Sue Swyers Moncure