Nursing students continue senior health checks

Category: Community News Community News
Published: 29 November -0001 29 November -0001

WNMU Nurses1 RSWNMU Nurses2 RSWNMU nursing students will be helping seniors stay healthy by
offering health screenings monthly,
at no charge, at Grant County Senior Centers.Grant County, New Mexico, Tuesday, March 14, 2017: Western New Mexico (WNMU) School of Nursing students are helping seniors stay healthier in Grant County. Over 230 seniors participated in health screenings program, Helping Seniors Stay Healthy. The program continues on Monday, March 20, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gila, Mimbres, Santa Clara and Silver City Senior Center.

WNMU nursing student Kaitlyn Wolf said the program is, "beneficial for us to practice our skills and for the seniors to catch a health issue early."

WNMU nursing student, Ariana Garcia added, "And they can bring the concerning results to the attention of their doctor."

WNMU School of Nursing Assistant Professor, Alexis Harsh, RN, BSN, MSN, CFNP, CPNP, said, "The nursing students were impressed with the amount of knowledge that they could obtain from our senior citizen community. It was a pure joy for us to provide services at the senior centers in Grant County."

WNMU nursing student, Lorenzo Sines said, "It was an eye-opening experience to see the seniors so healthy. I work in an emergency room and usually see seniors only in crisis."
Harsh adds, "The students will be increasing the types of screening and teaching opportunities that they provide this year."

Last year, the student nurses made 24 visits to senior centers throughout the area, administering over 250 tests to seniors including assessing vital signs like blood pressure, pulse, oximetry, blood glucose and weight. Also they administered home safety, biophysical and psychological assessments while lending a hand with washing dishes and visited with the seniors.

Grant County Manager Charlene Webb says, "The Helping Seniors Stay benefits the nursing students with hands-on experience and our seniors with valuable health care service at no charge."

HSSH Coordinator Chris DeBolt says, "Senior Centers are natural hubs for all kinds of services for our seniors with programs that encourage them to take better care of themselves and feel healthier."

Harsh adds, "Such opportunities give our students insight into the broader scope of being a nurse in rural America, and the chance to interact with residents who are similar to their future patients."

The program is funded by a grant from the Freeport McMoRan Foundation and supported by Grant County with the WNMU School of Nursing.

The health screenings are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, March 20, 2017, at Gila, Mimbres, Santa Clara and Silver City Senior Centers, with an encore visit on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, to Silver City Senior Center, 205 W. Victoria St.

Health screenings should not be a substitute for a person's annual physical exam conducted by a physician or health care provider. Health screenings can aid in general monitoring of wellness and catch the warning signs of more serious condition.

For more information on HSSH program call Chris DeBolt at (575) 956-3225.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.