On Sunday, November 9, 2014, 21 HBSON students collaborated with their future colleagues at a Heart-to-Heart Clinic at the Immaculate Conception Church in South Bronx. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in this community (“Community Health Assessment of the South Bronx,” Health and Hospitals Corporation, 2010). Along with pre-medical and Weill Cornell Medical College students, the clinic provided cardiovascular health screening to 61 participants, whose risk factors and lab results were assessed by physicians, nurse practitioners and students together. Nursing students honed their scientific, technical, communication, and assessment skills to perform blood tests, elicit information and promote healthy lifestyle at a community setting.

The Community Health Committee (CHC) also performed more patient education and provided participants with written materials to take home. Since many church members are Hispanic, recipes incorporated ingredients commonly used in Latin cuisine. Participants and volunteers had healthy lunch that included those ingredients, which also demonstrated that food can both be nutritious and delicious. Other written materials included exercise ideas and their benefits; nearby gyms, yoga, Zumba, and kickboxing classes and discounts; and brochures on stress management.

Many students enjoyed working at the Heart-to-Heart. Student Kelly Pacumio said, “It was an amazing feeling knowing I was able to make a difference in a person’s life by a simple screening and by empowering the people to make beneficial changes in having a healthier lifestyle.” The community setting of the clinic enabled nursing students like Kelly to holistically assess participants’ environments and utilize their community resources to improve their cardiovascular health. At the Heart-to-Heart Clinic, students bridged practicing nursing skills and making a difference in the community.

The Community Health Committee executed this project with a grant from the American Chai Trust Foundation. The Committee is grateful for this project in which nursing students had the opportunity to not only employ their skills but also be very impactful in the community.

Written by: Kristine Sy
Picture by: Peter Hung

Every minute, there is an suicide attempt, with an estimated total of 1 million attempts yearly. The “Out of Darkness Suicide Prevention Walks”, held by AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) is a walk to honor loved ones who have committed suicide, a walk to raise awareness and funds to educate and prevent suicide, but mostly, it is a walk to save lives. The October 26th, 2014 Walk had tremendous support with public speakers to share and encourage support systems, and to cherish and love loved ones. Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing and many other schools joined to show recognition of the Out of Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk as a chance to raise awareness and demonstrate the impact any form of suicide has.

As future professional nurses, there are several ways to understanding and preventing suicide: watch for suicidal ideation (look for changes in speech, behavior, and mood), know suicide risk factors (health conditions, environmental factors, and past history), and use therapeutic communication. How would we speak about suicide? The language we use should be based on the lead of the person we are speaking to; most people prefer to say, “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide,” because the first way focuses on the person’s death instead of the act itself. Next, we must understand suicide. Suicide, for most people, is not the first solution they jump to in dealing with extreme stressors. Suicide results from extreme pain, difficulty, and desperation, such that the person views suicide as the only way to relieve them of their circumstances. As student nurses, to educate, we must be educated.

References: American Foundation of Suicide Prevention: afsp.org
Written by: Dong Say Tan
Photo Credits: Kristine Sy, Cindy Harryram, Monique Brady, and Dong Say Tan
HBSON Volunteers: Kristine Sy, Cindy Harryram, Alice Yau, Dong Say Tan, Liana Aquino, Monique Brady, Michelle Lee Ooi, and Marian Dingco.

On Sunday, September 21st, 2014, Hunter and Baruch students gathered with 310,000 people in New York City from across the United States to march in solidarity and to raise awareness of environmental health issues, pollution prevention, and institutional environmental accountability at the People’s Climate March. This event brought together organizations across disciplines; the Nursing Students’ Association of New York State (NSANYS) and the Hunter-Bellevue Student Nurses’ Association (HBSNA), a National Nursing Students’ Association (NSNA) chapter, joined religious groups, student activist groups like CUNY Divest and the Hunter Sustainability Project. Over 100 world leaders attended the People’s Climate March, including Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General to the United Nations.  The weekend featured 2,646 solidarity events in 162 countries around the world, and coincided with the United Nations Climate Summit. This brought to light the impact that humans have on larger climate systems and emphasized the urgent need for effective policy and community education to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Environmental and climate change is obviously a major concern for nurses and their patients:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that air pollution contributes to 7 million premature deaths worldwide.
• The International Council of Nurses (INC) recognizes that “the healthy lives of people depend ultimately on the health of Planet Earth” and “the nursing profession plays a vital role in mitigating the negative impact of the products used in healthcare and medical waste on the environment” (ICN, 1992, 2002, and 2004).
• The Provision 8 of American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA, 2001) discusses broader societal health needs, including world hunger and environmental pollution as an ethical imperative. Nurses are, after all, the largest group in the healthcare profession and are capable of making an impact on large-scale community health initiatives.

HBSON students and students from other disciplines recognized the March as an opportunity to push for environmental change for the benefit of everyone.

Written by: Ana Paola White
Edited by: Kristine Sy
Photo credit: Benedict Joson

On Friday, August 1, 2014, five students represented HBSON with NSANYS at the 2014 NSNA Summer Leadership Conference. Many students, most of whom were from nursing schools in the east coast, attended the Conference at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Nursing students were immersed in the leadership positions they will hold this upcoming school year or in the near future at their school or state NSNA chapters. Of course, the opportunity for nursing students from many students to be together under one roof allowed them to network, collaborate, and share ideas.

Written by: Kristine Sy
Photo by: Joanna Law

On Thursday, July 31, 2014, the 2014-2015 HBSNA Board Members held a workshop with altruistic and dedicated members of the Macaulay Honors Global Medical Brigades. They mostly consist of students who are pursuing pre-medicine at their respective CUNY campuses. Under the leadership of Alla Uts of Macaulay Honors at Hunter College, they will assist in providing healthcare at a local school in Panama this August. There, they will see both pediatric and adult patients.

At the workshop, HBSNA Board Members discussed the five vital signs — temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, and pain — and possible indications of their abnormalities. The discussion was followed by a demonstration, then Global Medical Brigades members practiced taking each other’s vital signs in their respected groups. HBSNA Board Members went around the room to discuss their approaching trip, to help with instrument placement, and to identify the Korotkoff sounds. Throughout the workshop, HBSNA Board Members provided members of the Global Medical Brigades insight into effective ways they can verbally and nonverbally communicate with patients in Panama, especially in the presence of a language barrier.

HBSNA wishes the Macaulay Honors Global Medical Brigades a successful and fun trip to Panama!

Written by: Kristine Sy
Photo by: Nancy Ngok