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Staff Writer
Anita Shaw, associate professor of nursing, teaches her students the concepts of nursing through a Community Health Nursing program. Most recently, students participated in the annual health fare in Warren, Ark., where they assisted with blood pressure, mammogram and prostrate screenings and helped in whatever other areas they could. “We have 28 nursing students involved in the program, who chose to perform their community assessment in the city of Lake Village this year,” Shaw said. The assessment originates from a model distributed in a variety of segments, which ranges from health and social services to politics, government, economics, recreation and more. After students gather and observe community situations, they bring the data back to class, make a diagnosis and plan a strategy to solve the situation. The groups, which consist of six students each, present their case in a classroom environment at the end of the semester for their grade. The program enables nursing students to observe clients in their homes while working with the Department of Human Services. They investigate information such as the number of newspapers and radio stations found in the area and report on what data they offer to the public. Students study the environment of the community. For example, they visit good areas and bad areas and report on where the city spends its money. Students volunteer at several community service organizations that include; Kids First, Senior Citizen’s Center, Elder Day Care, where they work with Alzheimer's patients, and Jelly Bean Junction, where they interact with young children. “The idea is to get out of the classroom and experience first-hand what is going on,” Shaw said. Students travel to Monticello and Warren schools to help facilitate obesity screenings in addition to offering nutrition education and hearing and vision screenings. They observed operations at Tyson’s plants in order to learn about industrial nursing. The program enabled them to assist with Head Start, the local health department, and Delta Counseling day treatment, where they observe and interact with clients. “While working with community organizations, students learn what the area offers patients with regards to follow-up care after their release from the hospital. You can’t teach that in a classroom; you need to get out there and see how to nurse in a community environment,” Shaw said. Shaw taught at the University of Arkansas at Monticello from 1991 to 1995. She taught at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff from 1995 to 2000 and then returned to UAM where she loves teaching and her students.  Have a comment? Please e-mail us. ŠThe Voice 2006 Revised 09/13/2006 11:05:03 PM— http://www.uamont.edu/Organizations/TheVoice/4_5/anita.htm |
