Winona State University nursing students are gaining real world experience while helping local schools test the health and well-being of their students.
WSU nursing students will help school nurses at Winona Senior High School on April 7 with hearing and vision screenings. Professor of Nursing Linda Heath said her students visit area schools including La Crescent, Cochrane Fountain City, and Caledonia, throughout the year.
“We do this every semester. It’s part of their nursing training; that they have contact with nurses in the community, as well as learn from the experiences that are offered through those schools,” Heath said.
Heath said this provides students the opportunity gain experience within the community, and they have chance to look to school nursing as a future profession. At the same time, the school is able to more effectively test their students’ well-being, and students at WSHS look up to the nursing students for a possible career path.
“It connects the students with real life experiences,” Heath said. “It helps the students learning as well as the schools. Students learn from it. They learn how to interact with professionals as well as all age students.
Connecting with schools and the community is part of nursing students’ senior course, and nursing students also stay actively engaged in the community, Heath said, through other programs such as working with older adults in the community as well. It’s a partnership that Heath said will continue to flourish on both sides.
For more information contact University Communications at 507-457-5024.
