STORY OF ENGAGMENT
I have again chosen to commit my Service Learning hours to
lending my time, knowledge and skills to the underserved children of both the
Head Start population in surrounding communities and to the UMOS (United
Migrant Opportunity Services) childcare services. Throughout my educational journeys at Regis
University, during my MSN program and now the DNP program, I have been
committed to this population. So committed
in fact that when I was first introduced to Service Learning at Regis in 2005
during my MSN program I integrated this concept into my own teaching curriculum
while I was the administrator of Practical Nursing program. It is still being implemented today. I was so impacted from my time at Head Start
that I utilized my SL opportunity to bring my students (at the time) into the
Head Start environment during their clinical rotations. Since 2005 I have been committed to serving
the underserved and underprivileged children of my community. When I began my practice as an Advanced Nurse
Practitioner (APRN) I again incorporated the Ignatian Pedagogy into my
professional practice and collaborated with Head Start to provide health
screening services. This commitment has
since grown by the number of Head Start organizations throughout the
surrounding communities that I visit at the beginning at each school year to
offer my services. It has also expanded
into serving the UMOS population for the same purpose.
Utilizing the DEAL (Detail, Examine, Articulate the
Learning) Model to describe my experience begins with background on both
organizations and my role in service, as well as my time spent at the Concordia
Missouri Senior Center. UMOS child
development division meets the needs of seasonal and migrant farm-workers in
the rural Missouri area by providing early care and educational services. My role was donation of my expertise skills
and knowledge in family practice to provide childhood health screenings to the
children that attend the childhood care center. The children are brought by bus
to one of the 4 clinic locations, at the request of the UMOS health care
coordinator. My role in providing health screening services for this population
is more expanded than what is provided to the children who attend Head Start. Because these children are from a migrant
population that travels (usually from Texas to Missouri and vice versa) during
specific seasons of the year, there is more in depth screening needed. These children are not only receiving health
care screenings, but I am reviewing their immunization records and making
recommendations on needed immunizations, lead and/or hemoglobin testing that is
required by the UMOS organization and the state of Missouri. All of these children were Hispanic and
bi-lingual. However, some of the very
young children were only Spanish speaking and the staff, who is also
bi-lingual, assisted in translation. I
completed 25 well child health assessments, including all components that a
“well-child check” for that particular age would encompass. I also made recommendations on any further
health needs for each child, if there were any.
My role also involved assessing the child’s immunization status and
determining what immunizations were still needed, as these were administered at
a different time.
Head Start is a national child development program for
children from birth to age 5. I assessed
children from 2-6 years old, on multiple days, in 4 different communities, 58 children
total, for a total of 32 hours between the 2 programs. This program provides services to promote
academic, social, and emotional development.
It provides nutritional services as well to income-eligible
families. The goal is to enhance the
child's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. I provided health screening assessments in
accordance with the organizations and Missouri’s guidelines and policies.
Another focus of my Service Learning this semester was
donating my time and skills to the Concordia Community Senior Center offering
blood pressure and glucose screenings.
This organization provides the citizens of the community with lunch each
day for a small fee, and delivers meals as well to homebound senior
citizens. During the screenings I am
able to offer advice on further medical treatment if needed, and provide a
sense of reassurance to those that are being screened. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet the
people of the community and interact in their environment.
As I have referred to in my previous blogs, providing health
promotion and prevention screenings is one of my favorite activities to do in
the community as it gives those receiving the services an opportunity to ask
questions and get information they need.
I am very grateful to work for an FQHC that believes in a mission of
serving the underserved and underinsured.
For many of the pediatric population, especially the UMOS population,
this may be one of the few times they receive health screenings or encounter a
provider in what is perceived by the child as a “good” setting. The UMOS population is unique as their
culture does not prioritize health care. Working and providing for their families
are top priority. Many migrant workers
will continue to work while sick, parents will not miss work to their child to
health care provider, and they rely on the services of UMOS to care medically
for their child as well. I enjoy being
in the childcare care setting where the children feel comfortable and I can
accommodate that need to feel safe. I am
not giving a shot or causing pain. This
is an opportunity to influence the child positively to that “going to the
doctor” is a good experience. I received
one of the biggest compliments from the Head Start Coordinator this semester
when she thanked me over and over for not wearing a white coat. She went on to describe how at ease the
children felt when I came each year because I didn’t give them the perception
of a “doctor” or someone that was going to cause them harm (as a child see’s
it) from getting a shot or whatever experience they have previously had. Remember that with this population, most do
not receive screenings so going to the doctor means they “sick.” She complimented me on my ability to
communicate and interact with the children, allowing them to ask questions,
play with equipment, and making this a positive and fun experience.
This is one of my passions in my professional career;
providing services to those who are underserved and underprivileged. I am very grateful that I have such a unique
opportunity to be employed by a health care organization that shares the same
vision and passion for health care. All
of the children served come from low-income, many uninsured, and much
underserved populations. This may be the only time they ever see a
medical provider. Programs like Head Start and UMOS provide more than
daycare, they provide nutrition and education to the children. The staff
at the child development centers are just as passionate about the care the
children receive as I am about the medical care they receive. I will
continue to participate in offering outreach services to my community. I believe in the mission, values and goals of
this organization and want to assist in all ways to continue to promote health
care for all in the community. I will
continue to be a voice for those in my community, advocating for needs of the
population. Collaboration is the key to
sustainability and success of this organization in its’ ability to continue to
offer these free services.
I think it is evident from reading my blogs throughout the
last 3 semesters that providing health care services to those who are
underserved and underprivileged is a priority for me. I started with Service Learning 11 years ago
and have continued my commitment. I have used myself as an example many times
for justification of the betterment that one person, one encounter, can
influence future opportunities. From one
Service Learning project 11 years ago I have brought about change in serving
those in my community that are underserved ever since. From that one chance Service Learning
opportunity children have continued to benefit from interaction with nursing
students, the Head Start organization benefits from having the students there
to assist, nursing students at the basic nursing education level of LPN are
expanding their self-awareness through their own Service Learning
opportunities, and I have continued to commitment myself to service. From the first time I realized how I could
impact a child’s well-being through my commitment, I became more mindful of
what an awesome opportunity that serving others has for everyone involved. 
