Review in detail your service learning site?
- Where are you serving?
- I completed my service-learning project at the United Way of Lake Charles, LA (SWLA – Southwest Louisiana).
- What does the agency do?
- The United Way of SWLA is about improving the quality of life in our community one citizen, one family and one neighborhood at a time. They understand that their role is an important one, but it also requires coordination with other organizations in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis Parishes. The United Way’s vision is to meet the educational, financial and health needs of our community. In short, their goal is to address human needs.
- Who are the clients and what needs are served?
- At an individual level, the United Way of SWLA specifically serves a wide variety of individuals. These persons include homeless men and women around the 5 parish area, individuals with mental retardation and other mental handicaps, boy and girl scouts, autistic persons, individuals with Parkinson’s disease, individuals who are hungry and may not have adequate access to meals, the sick and underinsured without primary care, and many more individuals. These individuals are reached through many different organizations through monetary support from the United Way of SWLA.
- What is the agency funding support?
- The United Way of SWLA supports nearly 50 different organizations that support the individuals listed above. This is accomplished through individual and corporate donations. These are collected throughout the year and more specifically through a drive for the collection of funds that occurs in the fall of each year. Nearly 2.4 million dollars has been collected for distribution in 2011. The organizations including Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Calcasieu Association of Retarded Citizens, Parkinson’s Support for SWLA, Abraham’s Tent Food Bank, Acadiana Medical Provision, Calcasieu Medical Society’s Health Services, 2nd Harvest Food Bank, and many more groups.
What roles do DNPs play in promoting health and wellness in underserved populations?
I feel that this question could or is best answered in two thoughts. First I think the DNP nurse can promote health in this group with a general “willingness” to see and take care of these patients. It is often that the underserved may included underinsured and as a DNP we can volunteer our time in medical clinics or in serving on boards for medical clinics that take care of these patients. Secondly and with regard to the other underserved populations such as children or the elderly we must be educators and communicators. The DNP can see these patients and take time to educate them and their families about their health care and status. DNP’s can also provide comfort through communication in difficult times and celebrate with them in better times.
It is with the passion that drove us to become a nurse that the DNP must combine their “higher education”, advanced practice role, and “care giver” responsibility to provide for the underserved persons that are the majority of the US at present.
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- How do you perceive your individual role in this?
- As noted by Zaccagnini and White (2011), “as nursing moves practice decisions from those based on tradition to those based on empirical evidence, the advanced practice nurse is in the best position to effect and assess change within the clinical setting.” I believe this will best be accomplished through education. My project is a small example of how I will proceed and practice as a DNP. Through a cooperative between the physicians and staff in developing standardized modalities of education and information given to each patient, I as a DNP, will attempt to standardize education for all patients. It will be important to educate the ancillary staff of the importance of thorough patient education. Literature related to anxiety reduction has shown that patients benefit from interventions aimed at providing information about diagnostic therapeutic treatment (Ruffinengo, Versino and Renga, 2009. Through these “improved” educational modalities patients will gain an improved understanding of their procedure and perioperative expectations. This will also lead to a decrease in patient anxiety and possible decrease in pain levels. Through the reduction in pain and anxiety, the ultimate goal is for a faster return to full activity for the patients and an increase in overall patient satisfaction with their providers.
- Of course this is a small example, but ultimately I see my role as one of an educator but also as a leader in my community. Through continued participation in service-learning projects and raising the bar for nursing care, those around me in the nursing profession will be challenged to further their education and become involved in similar projects. This “ripple effect” will continue long after a specific project or event has occurred, and as a DNP I can feel proud that the influences of those who have preceded and taught me have been carried on at an impact level in my community.
Ruffinengo, C., Versino, E., & Renga, G. (2009). Effectiveness of an informative video on reducing anxiety levels in patients undergoing elective coronarography: An RCT. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing : Journal of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Nursing of the European Society of Cardiology, 8(1), 57-61. doi:10.1016/j.ejcnurse.2008.04.002
Zaccagnini, M. E.., & White, K. W. (2011). The Doctor of Nursing Practice Essentials: A New Model for Advanced Practice. (1st ed.). Sudbury,MA: Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC.
