Public health nursing students provide research that helped change policy

Public health nursing student Brianna Pinckard walks with Carol Holt Elementary school students.

Fort Worth, TX

12/9/2008

In an effort to change policy and improve the health and safety of the children and families in Southwest Arlington, approximately 70 TCU nursing students majoring in public health have worked for three semesters to implement the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) initiative resulting in funding for road safety improvements. The proposition calling for improvements in the tri-school area passed and was awarded approximately $4.6 million to the project with an additional $4.5 million of reprogrammed funding added with the passage of the bond based on the data and testimony offered by the TCU students.

SRTS is a federal program appropriating funds to repair infrastructure surrounding schools in order to enable and encourage children to walk or bicycle to school. By doing so, it also promotes a healthy lifestyle from an early age and reduces traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution surrounding schools.

The ongoing project between TCU’s Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, the City of Arlington and the Mansfield ISD focuses specifically on the tri-school area – Carol Holt Elementary, Cross Timbers Intermediate and TA Howard Middle schools –providing photographs, maps and written documentation of the traffic flows as well as parent, student and school employee surveys and participation in the International Walk to School Day.

Sharon Canclini, a clinical instructor at TCU and supervisor of the project, says that students often write about changing policy as a means of improving public health, but they are often not aware of the amount of work needed to change that policy. This project accomplished that.

“It has helped to develop students’ leadership skills and taught them how to complete the hard work requisite for effective citizenship,” Canclini said.

Students surveyed and monitored the school areas using two tools – the SRTS toolbox and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s School Health Index Module #1 – and discovered significant barriers that impede students’ ability to walk or bicycle to school including lack of sidewalks, traffic congestion, unsafe driver habits and unimproved county roads.

“But in order to change any policy, voters and officials must be aware that there is a need for change,” Canclini said.

For that reason, the students implemented a public awareness campaign to inform parents, students, school administrators and city officials of these problems. Students and parents participated in the International Walk to School Day to encourage physical activity for children.

“I am over the moon at the success of all of the students’ hard work on the project,” Canclini said.

The surveys and research put together by the TCU nursing students also have been sent to a Dallas engineer who will create a formal recommendation and action plan to be sent to SRTS to apply for additional funds.

Larry Cervenka, the director of traffic engineers at civil associates and the engineer drafting the plan for SRTS, was amazed at the quality and amount of work performed by the TCU nursing students.

The type of services provided by TCU would have cost approximately $30,000 if a consulting engineer or the City of Arlington performed all of the services, Mr. Cervenka said.

Next semester, Canclini will continue the project with her students as they prepare to inform fourth-grade students how to safely and responsibly ride their bicycles to school.

 

Read more in a Daily Skiff article.