Service Learning Environment:

 

I have continued volunteering my expertise as a registered nurse (RN) in the Free Medical and Virginia G. Piper Dental Clinics (FMVPDC) offering nursing care for the working poor, the uninsured, and the indigent populations surrounding Phoenix metropolitan area. In 2011, this clinic saw 13,785 patients and had 160 health care professional volunteers on staff.

The clinic is a part of the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP) main campus which operates not only the clinics, but also a thrift store, a food bank, a free community cafeteria, homeless and victims of domestic violence shelters, an elementary school, youth and young adult programs for at-risk students , a  home, hospital and prison visitation program,  and a central processing facility for donations.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society’s mission is “to collaborate with others of good will in relieving need and addressing the causes by embracing all work of charity and social justice “(St. Vincent de Paul, 2012).  According to recent government statistics, 812,000 people live in poverty in Arizona out of 5,887,000 (total pop.) that represents 16.6 % of the total population and 40% of those living in poverty have no health insurance (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2012). This represents approximately 325,000 people who have no health insurance. Lack of health insurance is at a crisis not only in Arizona but nationwide. By offering free health and dental care with homeless sheltering, St Vincent de Paul has indeed demonstrated the leadership necessary to assist others in need and ensuring social justice and charity.    

          

Examination of my experiences:

What am I currently doing with the organization and how do I see it evolving as I sustain my commitment to them?

I can make a difference by being a part of the solution for universal health care and being a part of a great organization by volunteering my time and lending my expertise as a multifaceted registered professional nurse to promote wellness, assist with access to care, and ease suffering. Furthermore, I understand the issues and will work politically to affect legislative and funding changes within my community. I can create a more just society by modeling the behaviors of servant leadership throughout my present and future experiences and become an advocate for the poor by inviting others to actively participate in assisting underprivileged populations in the struggle against illness and poverty. As an emergent DNP, I will continue to assist the mission of SVDP my continuing to be an advocate for this vulnerable population through the VOP and volunteering time in the clinic.

 

What do I envision being the shortcomings and strengths of your service learning?

My experience impacted me on many levels. First, there was self-discovery during my self-assessment. I realized my fears and weakness but felt that the outcome of my actions would out-weigh my discomforts. I had originally had this type of experience during a community-nursing course in my BSN program and continued 4 months after completing my studies. The agency I volunteered for was small and did not have adequate support: I was overwhelmed with compassion, empathy, and the social injustice and my battles were usually futile when dealing with municipal government and funding—so I felt I could do better volunteering in a different environment. With the framework for servant leadership, I have a renewed faith in obtaining the common good.

Based on this experience I am confident and competent in dealing with the homeless because I have been able to navigate through the complexities of access to healthcare and continuity of care in community agencies. 

 

Articulate learning of my experiences:

What did I learn?

The poor and homeless appreciate the services I offer and are usually relieved after examination and treatment no matter how small the intervention. Also many are scared and worried about the impact of disease, illness, or injury will have on their activities of daily living (ADLs). Furthermore, many undocumented immigrants are suspicious of our activities until after treatment and discharge. Additionally, there are multiple constituencies with many agendas in healthcare. Depending on the point of view, the stakeholders may have conflicting views of how best to use available resources.

How did I learn it?

I learned this through observation by delivering the healthcare directly and empathizing with the patients. I take time to actively listen to patients and be their advocate throughout the healthcare process.

Why does it matter?

Part of social justice is providing underserved and vulnerable populations equitable access to care. By being the advocate, being transparent, and concerned, one gains trust and appreciation. Additionally, being responsive and efficient during the triage process creates an environment of caring, increases access to care for more patients within my community, and increases the probability of patient compliance to treatment.

What will I do in light of this?

I will continue to provide my services in an efficient and reliable manner. I will continue to advocate for the poor and disenfranchised by increasing my efforts in the VOP. Furthermore, the DNP role in in health promotion will require improving health outcomes; inter-professional collaboration; advocacy; designing preventative services such as screening, counseling, and public policy intervention. I believe I am already providing many of the tasks involved in the DNP role (as previously stated); however, at present time, the clinic is focusing on immediate treatment and has little time to prepare for prevention strategies except in the dental clinic where we provide fluoride teeth-painting to 3-5 year olds in the community to prevent tooth decay. So, solid servant leadership would help health promotion strategies.    

References

National Coalition for the Homeless.  (2012). People need health care.  National

Coalition for the Homeless.  Retrieved from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/facts/health.htm

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Phoenix.  (2012).  Facts  and services .  St. Vincent de

Paul Society of Phoenix.  Retrieved from http://www.stvincentdepaul.net/.