All Stories

Professor Janet Levey’s Improving Health Outcomes of Population clinical group had a unique opportunity to provide community health nursing teaching and screening services to vulnerable populations during the second 7-week course of the fall term.

Prof. Levey worked diligently and collaboratively with stakeholders at Hoover Elementary School and West Allis Central High School to provide health teaching and screenings to students who otherwise would not receive them. At Hoover Elementary School, the clinical group delivered community health nursing services to approximately 500 children and 47 staff members. Nursing students facilitated a one-day mini-health fair for over 50 high school students enrolled in a health education class at West Allis Central High School.

Health screening was a top priority for Prof. Levey’s clinical group at Hoover Elementary School. During the 7-week clinical, students performed the following screening services:

  • Vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and oxygen saturation) obtained from 51 students and six staff members
  • Body fat indexes (BMI using weight and height) calculated for 51 students
  • Hearing screenings performed on 12 students and one staff member
  • Blood sugar levels checked on nine staff members
  • Vision assessed for 92 students

The clinical group also presented their health-teaching project titled, “Healthy Snacks vs. Junk Food” to five classrooms (K4 to grade 5) at Hoover Elementary School. Nursing students gave informal ‘teaching on the fly’ lessons on oral hygiene and nutrition during the children’s lunch period.

At West Allis Central High School, the clinical group taught “What Teens Need to Know about Nutrition” to students in four health education classes. Health screenings were offered to the high school students, and the nursing students provided services including:

  • Vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and oxygen saturation level of the blood) taken on 27 students
  • Vision assessed for 21 students
  • Body fat indexes (BMI using weight and height) calculated on nine students

Pictured left to right: Madeline Rohlman ?22, Valery Kravtchouk '22, Kelsey Coy ?22, Alice Bl... Pictured left to right: Madeline Rohlman ’22, Valery Kravtchouk '22, Kelsey Coy ’22, Alice Blake ’22, Lauryn Mool ’22, Prof. Janet Levey, Gianna Gluntoli ’22, Jenna Schmalfeldt ’22, and Hayley Hagen ’22. Prof. Levey's service dog, Gilly, is in front of the group.

Prof. Levey embedded service-learning health initiatives in the clinical course to reflect Carthage’s mission statement of “Seeking Truth, Building Strength, Inspiring Service—Together.” Students enrolled in her clinical section sign up for service-learning health initiatives to reduce health disparities for vulnerable populations. The service-learning initiative is not graded and is not part of their graded teaching project or regular screening services they perform during clinical. The initiative aims to facilitate nursing students development of citizenship and leadership skills.

Students involved in the service-learning health initiative projects during the second 7-week course of the fall term included:

  • Alice Blake ’22, Hayley Hagen ’22, and Madeline Rohlman ’22: Audiometer (created a video and user guide for nursing students and a handout for guardians on hearing tests)
  • Kelsey Coy ’22 and Valery Kravtchouk ’22: Coordinated the mini-health fair at West Allis Central High School
  • Lauryn Mool ’22: Wrote the handoff for the fall 2022 clinical group and summarized the school assessment findings for Hoover Elementary School
  • Gianna Giuntoli ’22: Coordinated the screening schedule for different grade levels at Hoover Elementary School
  • Jenna Schmalfeldt ’22: Facilitated the outerwear clothing drive (coats, hats mittens, gloves, and sweatshirts) for students in need at the West Allis Central High School

The Hoover Elementary School and West Allis Central High School are thankful for the health teaching, screening, and service-learning initiatives students provide to improve health outcomes for their populations.

SPONSORING DEPARTMENT, OFFICE, OR ORGANIZATION:

Nursing Program

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Janet Levey, jlevey@carthage.edu