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Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

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JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Nurses Take Health Care to the Homeless

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Monday, June 6, 2016   

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – An innovative community nursing program in Fayetteville is being called such a success that it may be expanded to other communities around the state.

Nursing students have been holding health fairs for two semesters at the city's homeless shelter, doing blood pressure and blood sugar checks, testing for HIV, and providing a lot of information about women's health care, affordable insurance and proper use of medications.

Susan Patton, assistant director of Undergraduate Programs for the University of Arkansas, says mostly the students do a lot of one-on-one consultations, talking to the patients to get a better understanding of their health care needs.

"Without understanding what kind of home environment they come from, it's easy to be judgmental: 'Well, you just need to eat better,' or 'You just need to get more rest,'” she states. “But understanding the circumstances that they live in helps them (nurses) to approach the patient from where they are and be more realistic."

Patton says the Community Nursing Program is modeled after similar programs in Boston and Los Angeles.

She says becoming a nurse takes more than classroom learning. It's also about understanding the unique needs of each patient.

"They go from this structured nature of an acute care hospital or long-term center to this much less structured, population-based health care, and it really stretches their clinical imagination because they get to see, you know, how people really live," Patton explains.

The students focus on issues that are prevalent with the homeless, including sunburn and insect bites, hydration, proper use of medication and taking care of their feet.

During this past semester, the students used social media to hold a shoe drive for their patients.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were more than 2,500 homeless people in Arkansas last year, with more than 200 being veterans.










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