While many BYU College of Nursing students travel across the globe for their Global and Population Health Nursing Clinical Practicum, others stay closer to campus serving vulnerable populations in Utah. Yet, their experiences are some of the most expansive and stretching of all, arming them with skills to help those on the fringes of American society. The local settings also allow students who may have family, health, or financial limitations to take part in a practicum. As such, these students work in the community shadowing a mentor nurse in settings of their choosing like jails, schools, county offices, and other community public health locations.
“I think the great benefit of this program is it helps students to have a broad perspective of health care that perhaps other students in the other practicums won't really get during their undergraduate education,” said Dr. Denise Cummins, one of the faculty leads for the Vulnerable Population practicum. “It helps the students to have the context about where the patients are coming from, what resources there are in the community setting for them, and where they can go to get ongoing care and resources after they leave the hospital.”
In addition to shadowing nurses, practicum participants are separated into groups to create an intervention for different community organizations to aid in nursing processes coordinating with an on-site liaison. For example, one group worked with The Heritage Community, a group of residential programs for youth with special needs. The program has many nurses on staff, but they may sometimes be overwhelmed by the number of calls they receive after-hours. To decrease this stressor, the students created a web page listing common ailments that residential caregivers can reference before calling. They also shared first aid tips to enable caregivers to resolve issues faster. “That benefits the community by empowering the resident advisors to know what to do for their students without delay,” said Dr. Cummins. “Then they can also know the appropriate time to contact the nurse.”
Another group aided the Welcome Baby program run by the Utah County Health Department by verifying resource availability and contact information as these resources change so frequently. They compiled their information into a pamphlet designed for nurses and patients alike that also included emergency strategies for women in cases of domestic violence. The managers of this project were so impressed with the output that they asked the students to translate the pamphlet into Spanish as well. “It was really incredible to see just kind of the ripple effect that these students make because they come in willing to serve however they can,” said Dr. Adrianna Watson, another faculty lead.
The faculty over the Vulnerable Populations practicum have added several new sites over the years including the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind and a refugee and immigrant health clinic in Herriman. At the refugee clinic, students help with teaching English and patient education in areas like blood pressure and other chronic conditions. Students also did blood pressure, blood sugar, and suicide prevention checks for those participating in the National Alliance on Mental Illness Walk with the Utah County Health Department.
Many students had impactful experiences applying their skills and learning how to help people in any cultural setting. One student assisted at a school for individuals with developmental delays by using their Spanish skills to communicate with a patient who responded with limited words, shocking many of the nurses who thought the patient was nonverbal. “It's been really cool to see how our students step into these roles as observers, and they're there to observe and to learn, but more often than not, they end up filling in this very specific need for these populations,” said Dr. Watson.
A student working at the Children’s Justice Center also had an impactful spiritual experience as they supported the nurse practitioner by inputting information of children in abusive situations. The situation initially shocked the student at how tender and painful the children’s experiences were. This emotionally taxing experience gave way to a connection to the Savior and his atoning sacrifice. “Something that really came out of that was the love of the Savior for these children,” said Dr. Watson. “A lot of [our nursing students] are expectant parents or current parents and were able to step back and think about how the Savior would interact with these people who are hurting in so many different ways, finding that spiritual connection to provide compassionate care.”
The students end up filling very specific needs for these populations.
One of the biggest draws to this practicum is working in jails. “A lot of our students experience some bias about the patient population in the jails,” said Dr. Watson. The incarcerated patient population likely dealt with adverse childhood events or abuse that shaped their decisions. "To hear students reflect on how having such significant events so early in a person's childhood could shape the way that they see society has brought out a lot of compassion in our students,” continued Dr. Watson.
Gabby Sutton, a sixth-semester nursing student, had a two-year old at home and decided she wanted to stay local for her practicum. As part of her assignments, Gabby spent considerable time at Salt Lake County Jail, and she was most impacted by seeing a place termed “the pits.” The pits serve as waiting places to desensitize an inmate from knowing their location in the compound. “There was this feeling in my gut where I felt these people were in a metaphorical pit of despair,” said Gabby. “This is the first place that I think Christ would go because so much there is broken, and not a lot of it is the inmate’s fault. A lot of these people are victims of things that you do not even want to ever imagine. He is a God of goodness, miracles and second chances and there is no better place for new beginnings than the jail. I feel like the first place He would go is into the pits.”
I keep getting surprised at what makes different populations vulnerable. I thought I had a good grip, but then I did this internship, and I realized I missed the mark. I didn't get what was really impacting people's lives.
Because of this practicum, Gabby felt better equipped to provide care to a more diverse group of patients. “I keep getting surprised at what makes different populations vulnerable,” said Gabby. “I thought I had a good grip, and then I did this internship, and I realized I missed the mark. I didn't get what was really impacting people's lives.”
These service opportunities during the practicum have also led to opportunities to research improving intervention methods for vulnerable populations. In October, this research will be presented to an international audience. Many students also go on to work for some of these public health organizations because the practicum has led to some unique networking and mentoring opportunities.
While the Vulnerable Population practicum does not travel abroad, their experiences teach them to look beyond their biases and extend a compassionate hand to those who can often be overlooked. Students internalized and became more intimately aware of the complexities of learning the Healer’s Art.
Fast forward to the practicum itself. Gabby arrived to start her service work for mothers and babies at the county health department (one of many experiences in the program), but due to some miscommunication, the nurse she was supposed to accompany on home visits left without her. Gabby was left at the office with nothing to do. When Sabin came in, Gabby recognized her from the information session and asked if she could join her instead.
During their time together, Gabby and Sabin met with several mothers and babies to ensure developmental milestones were being met. Gabby and Sabin’s Spanish expertise helped as the mothers they visited were all Spanish speakers. “Every time there is a student scheduled, I let my supervisor know that I’d love to have them with me,” said Sabin. “Having a positive interaction with someone who is already a nurse makes it a positive experience for them.”
Once they got back to the office, Gabby had the opportunity to ask Sabin questions about her job experience and life as a graduate of the College of Nursing. “Sabin was able to not only fill in the gaps, but give me a really good experience,” said Gabby. “It was nice to have someone in my corner who had been in the program.”
Without the Global and Population Health Nursing Clinical Practicum, neither Gabby nor Sabin would have connected. These practicums not only equip future nurses with vital skills but also cultivate a supportive alumni network that enhances student’s careers and personal development.