TCU nursing students partner with local schools to teach disaster preparedness

Fort Worth, TX

5/18/2007

TCU nursing students and faculty united with local schools to educate the community through a recent Disaster Preparedness and Awareness Fair.

Following other major disasters, TCU nursing faculty and senior nursing students enrolled in a Community Health Practicum course found a need to inform the community of actions to take in the case of a local emergency. The class partnered with Holy Rosary Catholic School and St. Alban’s Episcopal School, members of the south Arlington faith-based community.

An estimated 150 people attended the fair, gaining insight into the development of an emergency action plan, communications plans, first aid skills and emergency prevention habits. The various booths distributed handouts from public safety agencies and offered one-on-one teaching to participants, with one booth even using laptops for Internet safety lessons.

“Because of the information we received, the children and I were able to assess which room in our home was the safest in a weather emergency and took refuge with blankets, books and toys for 40 minutes,” said Rebecca Guzman Bosquez, a fair participant who experienced a tornado warning in her community the following week.

Children, families and staff from both schools were encouraged to attend the fair, while students accommodated the needs of each individual. Participants went home with goodie bags containing first aid kits, magnets, pencils, coloring books and a variety of safety preparedness incentives. While implementing the project, TCU students were able to further develop skills learned in the classroom and enhance their ability to interact with a diverse audience. The community engagement process aimed to promote communication, commitments and leadership among the future professional nurses.

“I learned how to work with the community, as well as what resources are available. I must say I also learned a great deal about disaster preparedness myself,” said Krista Cantrell, TCU nursing student.

The service-learning project is a continuation of previous efforts geared toward the issue of preparedness and was made possible by a $1000 grant, titled “Children and Families in the Faith community Prepare for Emergencies.” In 2006, students visited participating churches to educate individuals through poster sessions. However, the fair took it further than simply telling people how to be prepared.

“Outcome evaluations support that the event was successful in imparting valuable information to the participants. Hopefully, those participants share that information with others, further expanding our impact,” said Sharon Canclini, TCU clinical instructor for the project.

As for future plans, the partnership is predicted to continue. While the project has reached a diverse population, Canclini hopes to reach those that have not yet gotten the message, such as the Muslim community.

For more information, contact Dr. Sharon Canclini of TCU’s Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences at 817-257-6745 or s.canclini@tcu.edu.