Today, our Community Health clinical took us to All People’s Fresh Market on the south side of Columbus. It was the first day our Norwegian peers were able to join us in serving our Columbus community! The market is run by the United Methodist Church & Community Development for All People. They partner with Mid-Ohio Food Collective to deliver over two million dollars’ worth of food every year to populations in need of food assistance. They focus on providing fresh fruits and vegetables. The day started off with setting up the food in the market to get ready for opening. Some of us were helping patrons gather their food supplies and restocking the foods. Grace, Evelyn, Ashley, and I started off running the drive-thru of the market. Putting our nursing skills to the forefront, the market featured a table where we were offering free blood pressure and glucose checks. For lunch, I got to stop by Bake Me Happy. The bakery serves delicious gluten free treats, many of which I have not had in a long time. It was so delicious.

One health concern identified is food insecurity. The market ensures that those experiencing food insecurities have access to fresh fruits and vegetables for healthy eating. Regardless of why anybody was at the market, there was a shared respect for food. Food is important for families and their traditions. There were some language barriers, but Google Translate helped immensely in bridging any of those gaps. The market connects with Goal 2 of the United Nations’ sustainable goals: Zero Hunger. My biggest takeaway today is realizing that food insecurity does not discriminate. There were people from all backgrounds utilizing the resources of the market. The community I witnessed today was powerful!

Figure 1: Ohio Reformatory for Women (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, n.d.)

Today, our Community Health rotation took us to the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio. Walking in, I had a preconceived notion of what life was like for incarcerated people and correctional nurses. My notions were proved wrong almost immediately after entering the reformatory premises. Correctional nursing is aimed at providing healthcare to people in prison, who often experience healthcare disparities.

During today’s clinical, my classmates and I toured the Ohio Reformatory for Women’s grounds, including the infirmary and the Residential Treatment Unit. We were fortunate to sit for a panel of women, who described their experiences in prison. They shared positive and negative stories about the healthcare received in prison. One talked about how the correctional nurses can be extremely helpful in receiving proper care, but they can also be a huge barrier. She told us nursing students to “be perceptive.” She explained that great nurses and healthcare workers have the ability to notice things that are not easily recognizable to others. That can be crucial to providing great healthcare. A cultural difference for correctional healthcare is the stigma and bias. In hospitals, inmates often face bias due to their criminal background. However, from my experience today, I noticed that many of the correctional nurses and administrators are huge advocates for the women at the reformatory. My future job is not to judge, it’s to take care of the human being in front of me.

One health concern from the reformatory is the mental health of the women at the reformatory. One of the panelists told us that more than 90% of the women incarcerated at the reformatory have experienced some form of abuse in their lifetimes. In July 2023, the reformatory opened a mental health treatment center, one of the first of its kind in the nation. This center aims to increase the mental (and overall) well-being of all the women at the reformatory. Today’s experience can be associated with the goal 10 of reducing inequalities. Correctional nursing helps bridge the gap between prison populations and healthcare access. Also, the mental health treatment center helps this population have access to care for their mental and emotional well-being. Incarcerated individuals are often underserved in this realm, but these resources are trying to reduce that inequality.

My big takeaway from this experience was how Ohio is a leading state in rehabilitation in prisoners. Also, the state is funding mental health resources in prisons to aid in the mental well-being of incarcerated people. While touring the premises, I noticed many women utilizing these services to better their mental well-beings and overall well-beings.

Today, I began my Community Health journey at Hilliard Tharp Sixth Grade. This elementary and middle school serves the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. When I walked in through the doors before the first bell rang, I was immediately greeted by the school nurse, Katie Frenz. She excitedly introduced me to all the faculty and staff of the building, calming my nerves. Then, Katie walked me through the day’s schedule and the responsibilities w

e’d plan to tackle. But, just like any other nursing job, things did not get exactly as planned. There were unexpected student visits, shifting priorities, and the kind of organized chaos that only the school nurse can handle. Flexibility and adaptability were the true champions of today!

The school nurse has to deal with many health concerns for students including asthma and diabetes management, first aid from injuries at recess, and mental wellness. The day started off with Katie planning a day where a mobile dental clinic would come to the school and provide services to some students. She had to plan the schedule, location, and transport for many students to get these services. Next, Katie and I conducted a standard vision and hearing test for a student to put on file with the State of Ohio. After that was completed, we started planning for a class to teach fifth grade students about the growth and development changes. The topics covered included puberty, hygiene, peer pressure, body image, and much more. In between all these responsibilities, the school’s clinic assessed for many abrasions, tummy aches, and muscle aches. Many phone calls to parents were interspersed throughout the day about the health and wellness of their children. At times, communication could have been difficult because language barriers made if hard for some parents to understand what was going on. However, many of the students were bilingual and able to translate between Katie and the parents.

This day at the middle school relates toGoal 3 (Good Health and Well Being) of the United Nations. The role of the middle school nurse is to ensure that no student’s current or potential health problems go unnoticed. The school nurse is the liaison between faculty, staff, students, parents, and physicians. They conduct health screenings for vision and hearing, allowing easier access to these resources. In my opinion, the biggest role of the school nurse is education – especially in middle school. This is the age group where students start to feel awkward and self-conscious about their changing bodies. Katie reinforced that she is a resource for education on preparing and coping for these changes. My biggest takeaway from my experience today is that school nurses must be just as flexible and adaptable to their diverse environment as a nurse does in the hospital. Many surprises came into the school clinic today, but Katie handled every toss and turn with grace and the utmost respect for her patients and their parents.