Nursing Students Provide Health Services at HOPE Event
About 30 Eleanor Mann School of Nursing students at the University of Arkansas worked Oct. 23 at the HOPE community event in Fayetteville providing health care to homeless people and others in need of services. The students joined other volunteers working in shifts at the annual event directed by Kevin Fitzpatrick, U of A professor of sociology.
Ann Lofton, clinical instructor of nursing, said the first-semester nursing students gained valuable experience with various skills as well as in therapeutic communication with patients. The students checked blood pressure and blood glucose levels and gave flu shots.
“A lot of good people got a lot of good help today,” Lofton said.
HOPE has served more than 1,200 people since Fitzpatrick began the annual event in 2009. It is held every year at Central United Methodist Church, which is a sponsor. Providers of nursing, podiatry, optometry, dentistry and pharmacy services assist participants with health-care needs at the free event, and Walgreens provided basic health-care items and flu shots. Other sponsors include the Veterans Administration, the 7Hills Homeless Shelter and the Community and Family Institute at the University of Arkansas.
Contacts
Heidi Wells, director of communications
College of Education and Health Professions
479-575-3138,
heidisw@uark.edu