LEXINGTON, Kentucky (LEX 18) – As they begin their senior year, UK College of Nursing seniors kick off their semester with the UK College of Nursing Day of HOPE.
The students worked with the Hope Center to organize a free health fair for the center’s clients.
“We’re just trying to give back to the community,” said chief nursing officer Ben Fischer.
Around 40 British nursing students have set up stands at the Hope Center and are offering advice and information material on blood pressure, smoking cessation, nutrition and much more.
“The first step to a healthy life is to be able to prevent things and to develop good habits. And that is exactly what we try to convey here and bring to everyone who comes,” says Fischer.
Rosalie Mainous, Dean of the UK and Professor of Nursing at Warwick, said: “Sometimes access to services, particularly in the area of preventative medicine, is limited. So we wanted to reach out to this population, work with them, find out their needs and concerns and provide them with preventative healthcare and guidance for the future so that everyone can stay as healthy as possible.”
Mainous, who also sits on the Hope Center’s board, believes the collaboration between the two organizations strengthens both. Students can apply what they’ve learned and clients go home better informed.
“This is a big deal for us and our clients because while we’re guiding them through the recovery program or providing them with housing, we’re really focused on what’s right in front of us today: recovery, housing, self-care. And we don’t always have time for those additional resources,” says Katie Vogel, Hope Center’s director of development.
A free health fair is not the first and certainly not the last partnership between UK Nursing and the Hope Center. After all, service and hope go hand in hand.
“I’m so proud because they don’t have to be here, they’re here as volunteers and we’re trying to give them that mission of service,” Mainous said.
“It’s really fulfilling and I’m glad we were able to organize it,” Fischer said.
