Radford nursing school partners with health care outreach

Over 1,200 faculty, alumni and students from the Radford School of Nursing recently contributed their expertise and time to Virginia’s Remote Area Medical health care outreach.

The volunteers dedicated over $1 million worth of health care services to approximately 2,100 underserved people living in southwest Virginia. The people received dental, general medical, preventive care, vision and education from the volunteers.

Among the volunteers were RN-BSN students Angie Parks, Shannon Lowery and Rachel Lafay; School of Nursing faculty Kemberly Campbell, Sue Ellen Miller and Kate Brennan; and BSN students Ben Smith, Jimi Gonce and Marta Jones). Meghan McFree, an alumna from the program, also participated.

"It was a valuable experience for the students to see the reality of healthcare when access is limited or unavailable,” Campbell said. “It was encouraging to observe such a positive interaction between patients and students. I am proud of them and our program for cultivating an awareness for community healthcare.”

The volunteer project was a good hands-on experience for the students.

“The event was the latest in a series of ongoing field and clinical opportunities by which the School of Nursing prepares nurses and contributes to the health care of the community and region,” Campbell said. “Many School of Nursing graduates will move right into their communities and work in schools and free clinics and provide primary healthcare that may otherwise be unavailable.”