Review in detail your service learning site
My service learning hours and activities are completed with the Jacksonville multidisciplinary child
abuse/neglect and sexual assault committee, which includes representatives and stake holders from the department of children and families,
social services, county sheriff departments, forensic physicians, state
attorney’s office, and several of the local hospitals of which my service
learning mentor is one of the committee liaisons. The formal committee meets
quarterly, and subcommittees monthly to review various projects, the latest of
which has been the city wide role out of a new guideline to assist sexual
assault victims. As I mentioned previously, this included the distribution of a
DVD, created by committee members, and staff/patient education material to
health facilities throughout the city and surrounding counties. The committee
and projects receive a small amount of city funding, and most projects are funded
by grants and sponsors, the DVD for example was sponsored by a local families
with ties to one of the contributing hospitals.
Another major focus of the
committee is child abuse and neglect, and I was able to attend a two day child
abuse and neglect training conference, which enabled me to bring back
information to educate the staff in my facility. The conference was sponsored
by the Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) network, Florida Department
of Children and Families, Monique Burr Foundation for children, child
protection team, and the University of Florida (UF) Department of Pediatrics
Division of Forensic Pediatrics. This was very helpful, especially for my
hospital since we are a safety net and former community facility, which serves
a large number of lower socioeconomic and culturally diverse population.
Unfortunately this also means that we encounter a significant amount of child,
as well as elder abuse and neglect, which made the information learned at this
conference very helpful.
What roles do DNP’s play in promoting health and wellness in
underserved populations?
Introducing best practices and incorporating them into daily
care is probably one of the most significant impact the DNP can have on
improving care for the underserved as well as all patients. As a leader in the
profession, the DNP should also be involved in the educational, as well as
policy and political arena of nursing. DNP’s also serve as role models and
mentors for staff, and should encourage them to stay involved in continuing
education activities and credentialing.
Being active politically and in professional organizations
is another avenue for the DNP to advocate for better access to care for
underserved populations as well as safe, equal, and effective care for all patients.
What was the best /worst/most challenging thing that happened this
semester?
The conference I mentioned probably provided the best and
worst experience during my service learning. The topics covered were
enlightening and disturbing, such as the amount of minors involved sex
trafficking in this country, and the types of abuse and neglect that occurs on
a daily basis. Dr, Sharon Cooper and Dr. Barbara Knox are both international
speakers and experts on these subjects and really drove home the significance
of these problems.
The most challenging thing this semester was trying to
figure out how to keep the information I learned in perspective, and not get
too emotional about these tragedies that occur every day. I also needed to find
a way to find ways to educate staff on the supple signs of abuse and neglect
that we don’t often take into consideration and could be lifesaving, such as
making it a habit to review a child’s growth and development level, even in the
ED, which should be much easier now with the implementation of the EMR’s. This
simple process could provide early detection of abuse or neglect and facilitate
interventions as needed.
What can you do differently as an individual and as a professional to
support and advocate for some of the issues you encountered during your service
learning experience?
As I mentioned, although I am not a pediatric nurse, what I
have learned is disturbing and I plan to continue working with these
committees. On a personal and professional level I believe I can advocate for
these patients by creating awareness in the community as well continuing to
educate the bedside staff, and providing them with the latest information and
guidelines.
I have been a member of the Emergency Nurses Association for
many years, but have not been as active as I should have. Becoming more active
with this organization may be another avenue to work on these issues. I
definitely plan to continue my involvement with these programs and will
hopefully become a facilitator for improving some of these statistics, at least
in a small way.
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