MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A West Virginia University School of Nursing student recently organized a health fair, along with the Monongalia County Health Department, to support public health across campus.
Catherine Myers, a member of the Student Nurses Association (SNA) and a second semester junior, led the April 1 event at the Mountainlair. The health fair offered COVID-19 vaccines, naloxone training and free kits, relaxation techniques from Dr. Tina Keener, education about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and free condoms and dental dams.
“As nursing students, we’re told that we are educators for the community and we are really that bridge between public health and the public,” Myers said. “We really wanted to have an opportunity to reach out to people and bring our services to them in a way that we thought was most applicable to our student population.”
Myers also reached out to the Monongalia Health Department to see if they wanted to participate at the event alongside the SNA.
“The Health Department has been doing a lot of outreach clinics, so we really like to go to where the people are to provide our services,” said Joe Klass, Threat Preparedness Chief of Operations with the Monongalia County Health Department.
He said he thought the health fair would be a great opportunity to try to bring COVID vaccines as well as other preventative health care services to the WVU student and staff population, as well as the general public.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the School of Nursing has stepped up and provided hundreds of students to help us out with our testing and vaccination events,” Klass said. “That staffing has really been pivotal in allowing our health department to safely and effectively staff all of these different events.”
The event was also an opportunity for nursing students to get hands-on practice outside an acute care setting. For example, Kelly Bryson, a second semester junior, assisted with health fair set up, as well as administration of COVID vaccines and student education.
“It's really fun practice to come here with the health department and to help administer COVID vaccines,” Bryson said. “It's a lot of good volunteer hours, and it's just really fun to see students and to help out the community.”
The student nurses received positive feedback about their offerings, especially Dr. Keener’s interactive relaxation techniques workshop. After attaching a small sensor to the earlobe, Keener asked participants to think about anything they wanted. Then she introduced a technique that utilizes breathing and positive feelings.
“I showed them the biofeedback to see how the technique shifted their heartrate variability on the screen,” she said. “It can help reduce stress and increase resilience.”
Keener said the event was a great opportunity for student nurses to network and promote health.
"I think that the most important part of our work as nurses is to prevent illnesses and promote well-being," Keener said. "If we can get out here and spread the word on how to be healthier, that's what we're intended to do as nurses."
-WVU-
CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu