Community Outreach Turns Inward as Seniors Visit Nursing Lab

Published 12.13.2016

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Nursing students Alexis E. Jones (left), of Watsontown, and Brittney J. Barrett, of Mill Hall, review signs that a loved one has had a stroke, FAST: Face drooping, Arm weakness and Speech difficulty, followed by Time to call 911.Marissa N. Herb, of Williamsport, talks about the learning activities surrounding the facility’s 35 static manikins.Samantha M. Weaver, learning laboratory coordinator for nursing education, shows the functions of SimMom, one of five high-fidelity manikins that can be programmed to imitate real health conditions.Students and faculty from the Fundamentals of Nursing course gather with visitors from Albright Life Center.After students in the Fundamentals of Nursing course spent the semester visiting Albright Life Center of Lycoming, the center’s clients visited the students on their own turf in the college’s Nursing Education Center.

Each week, a group of four from the NUR 211 class visited the center, where they presented a health-related topic, often accompanied by a hands-on activity. Many of the clients asked the students about their education, so the students invited Albright to campus during the last week of the semester, providing a tour and mini health fair, where they reviewed the information they had presented during their earlier visits. Presentations included such practical subjects as hypertension, signs of stroke, bone and joint health, physical activity, injury prevention, home safety, and influenza prevention. Fundamentals of Nursing introduces basic principles of nursing practice.

Their visits to Albright Life – a daytime care center for seniors – provided an educational opportunity for the students to go out into the community and teach, a key responsibility for working nurses.