{"id":2131,"date":"2017-12-14T15:12:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T15:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/developmenttwo.marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-nursing-students-volunteer-at-remote-area-medical-event\/"},"modified":"2017-12-14T15:12:00","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T15:12:00","slug":"marymount-nursing-students-volunteer-at-remote-area-medical-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-nursing-students-volunteer-at-remote-area-medical-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Marymount Nursing Students Volunteer at Remote Area Medical Event"},"content":{"rendered":"
As Melissa Miles neared completion of her accelerated nursing degree at Marymount University<\/a>, she and seven peers spent a weekend volunteering with Remote Area Medical of Virginia in the state\u0092s rural Northern Neck. They served a population she said is \u0093hidden out in the open.\u0094<\/p>\n Under the supervision of three faculty members, they worked triage for the non-profit that provides free medical, dental, and vision care on a \u0093first-come, first served\u0094 basis to people in need from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 4 and 5 at Richmond County Elementary School in Warsaw. The students greeted patients and took medical histories, blood pressure readings, vital signs and blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n \u0093The thing that stuck with me the most was how nervous they were when they first sat down and how much more relaxed they were by the end of our conversations,\u0094 the Springfield resident said. \u0093They come in at a very vulnerable state.\u0094<\/p>\n She listened to their stories and reassured them that she would explain anything they didn\u0092t understand. Though many took advantage of medical services, the vast majority requested dental and vision care.<\/p>\n \u0093Oral health is really one of the biggest issues that we have going nationally that has not been addressed by our system,\u0094 said Dr. Agnes Burkhard<\/a>, an associate professor of nursing who organized this and two previous RAM service trips.<\/p>\n The other faculty members were Colleen Sanders<\/a>, assistant professor of nursing, and Marian Harmon, an adjunct professor. Other students were Ann Cavanaugh, Alexandra Fredericksen, Jessica Gaarde, Donna Huynh, Katherine Joye, Lauren Lockwood and Christine Pennington. The MU volunteers received financial support for the trip from the school\u0092s Wellness Committee and its Eta Alpha Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.<\/p>\n