Partnership
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Testing
Editor’s Note: CFNA’s service ministries are enhanced enormously by partnerships with like minded organizations. Here Dr. Heather Wade of St. Louis University’s School of Nursing shares her recent experience.
Last October, CFNA contacted the St. Louis University Trudy Busch-Valentine School of Nursing to ask for assistance with their Saturday Health and Wellness events. The School of Nursing is always eager to build community relationships and partnerships, and we began assisting on Saturdays in the new year. One Saturday, Pastor Stanish asked if the school could offer expanded mid-week screenings that also included vision screening. Subsequently, a pilot developed, and an extension of health and wellness screenings took place for two hours on five Wednesday mornings at the Peace Center.
Screening
Mrs. Carol Buckman and Pastor Stanish Stanley coordinated appointments and interpreters. Mrs. Buckman made posters, advertised on Facebook, and communicated with clients the day of the event to make sure they were still planning to come. The efforts of these two colleagues made for the success of the events.
The SLU nursing students, in conjunction with their instructor, Dr. Heather Wade, offered blood glucose and blood pressure testing as well as visual acuity screening.
Nurses are always educating, and so recommendations for lifestyle changes based on the screening results were also incorporated. Referrals to primary care providers and assistance with acquiring insurance were also provided. The students’ favorite part, perhaps, was giving reading glasses to those in need. Watching a smile brighten the face of someone seeing better for the first time, fills the whole room with joy. Continued vision screening and the addition of hearing screening with appropriate referrals for poor vision and hearing were an identified need.
Registration
These services are all an extension of what is offered at the monthly Saturday health and wellness events. The hope is that by offering services mid- week it increases accessibility to care. St. Louis University’s school of nursing thanks CFNA for its partnership.
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Heather Wade
Assistant Professor
Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing
St. Louis University
