As part of their clinical experience, nursing students are usually found in hospitals donning stethoscopes and lab charts. For nine Jacksonville University Nursing Seniors, their Tuesday clinical was spent baking dog biscuits, feeding farm animals, and harvesting produce in a garden.
For these future nurses who are just months away from the classroom and into the healthcare setting, the engagement with our microenterprises and students is a refreshing switch. “It’s a really nice change of scenery for us, and I know a lot of our classmates were envious that we got this assignment,” explains Senior Katelyn M. “I’m learning so much here especially from the kids and will certainly remember this experience!” The students are here to prepare for a health fair next week that will actually make them educators explaining various topics. They’ll discuss nutrition, exercise, germs, and doctor visit preparations.
Instead of a clincal rotation, JU Nursing students rotation included making dog treats at Barkin’ Biscuits
The need for nurses has never been more urgent, and Jacksonville University’s program prepares their students for real world situations that include a diverse group of patients. “Jacksonville University senior nursing students have many goals to achieve in their Community Health Nursing Practice course. One goal is to apply standards of practice for community health nursing to develop collaboration, advocacy, and leadership skills to meet the changing health needs of the community,” explains their Professor Sherri Bateh. “This opportunity provides them with an enhanced understanding of how they can collaborate and advocate for people with intellectual and developmental differences in their nursing careers.”
This is the second year of our partnership with Jacksonville University’s Nursing School, and we are so excited to host them on our campus!
Students take a breather after a gym class activity