|
Nurses Strive to Build Network of Care in Under-Served Neighborhoods
It was poor vision, ironically, that prompted the idea of bringing school nurses into inner-city Catholic schools. Corryville Catholic
hadn't had a school nurse for years, so TriHealth's Parish Nurse program sent in a nurse to do vision screenings. The shocking results revealed that one-third of the
children failed the screening and needed eye examinations.
The events at Corryville Catholic sparked a discussion about the need for a school nurse in the Archdiocese's most indigent schools, according to Wendy
Hess RN, manager of TriHealth's Parish Nurse program. In 1998, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, with a grant from what is today called the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, hired two
nurses to cover eight schools. Their work in the schools complements that of 10 parish nurses based at churches in Over-the-Rhine, North Fairmount, Bond Hill, Winton Terrace/Winton Hills, Clifton/Mt. Auburn and Walnut Hills.
Parish nurses strive to be advocates for people who have
little access to health care resources. "We serve large numbers of racially
diverse clients, the bulk of whom are women and children," says Hess. "Our
nurses take a non threatening approach and listen to what the individual thinks
and try to provide information and resources. They serve everyone with the
same dignity and compassion, no matter what their religion, socioeconomic or
ethnic background.
"The work we do dovetails with the mission of Bethesda and Good Samaritan," explains Hess. "It continues the work of the founding Deaconesses and Sisters of Charity, who both worked with the poor."
Susan Bolton RN, school nurse says, "Most of our frustration comes from seeing needs we can't address. Our long-term hope is to interface with the parish nurses and give a spectrum of care." With a network of
parish nurses and school nurses working together, a helping hand extended in the classroom can be reinforced by a compassionate presence in the home.
For more information about the Parish Nurse program and how you can help, call Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation at (513) 862-3786.
| 
