Putting it together
New nursing graduate Nora Strickler (MS ‘23/N) and lessons learned in Richmond’s only federally designated Healthcare for the Homeless clinic
For individuals without health insurance or the means to afford health services, safety net clinics provide accessible, comprehensive, and integrated quality health care. Several VCU School of Nursing students and alumni are key providers of those services in one such local clinic, Daily Planet Health Services (DPHS), a federally qualified health center serving individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Currently, DPHS provides services at ten locations, including partnerships at two CARITAS locations, Henrico Area Mental Health East and West, two residential programs at Safe Haven and Medical Respite, and one mobile medical unit. DPHS’ three permanent sites are in federally designated Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) for medical care and a Health Professional Shortage Area for the City of Richmond for medical, dental and mental health.
VCU nursing students learn the kind of care implementation core to the Daily Planet’s operations and, through clinical placement, have a chance to practice it under the guidance of a preceptor. Renee Hammel, FNP (BS ‘04/H&S), a preceptor for the school and third generation VCU alum, received her B.S. in Biology from the College of Humanities and Sciences in 2004 before graduating from Johns Hopkins with a degree in nursing. She explains that, “VCU nursing students consistently come to DPHS with a solid academic understanding of potential barriers that patients may face. It is obvious that [the school] introduces community health and resources early in their programs, pushing their students to be thinking about all the moving pieces in a patient successfully accessing healthcare.”
Hammel recently supervised new Family Nurse Practitioner and Master’s graduate Nora Strickler (MS ‘23/N), who finished a primary care rotation at the Daily Planet this past spring. Through that preceptorship, Strickler had real-world opportunities to apply creative approaches to care delivery, allowing her to integrate what she learned in the classroom into practice. “I have been an RN for nine years, but I truly feel like a completely different nurse after my two years with the VCU School of Nursing,” she said.
Placements with health centers like the Daily Planet give students an added opportunity to work with populations they may have not yet encountered, helping them to round out their experience before entering the workforce. Understanding the realities of care implementation and delivery is a critical step in a student’s education. “While nursing students are taught to take the entire person and their support systems into consideration, a rotation at DPHS shows several examples of how that plays out in reality. Diabetes management and high blood pressure cannot be consistently controlled without access to shelter, food and water. Patients needing hip replacements or hernia repair surgeries need to have medical care and housing in place before surgery teams will treat them,” said Hammel.
VCU School of Nursing prioritizes preparing effective practice-ready providers. However, that aspiration can come with consequences at times. For Hammel, an ‘on-the-job’ lesson she stresses with students is encouraging them to monitor their own mental and emotional wellness and consider therapy as a part of self-care. “Our patients come with sometimes brutal and disturbing experiences, which can cause secondary trauma or guilt. In addition, most nursing is reliant on building trust and walking a person through behavior change. These goals take time, are not linear, come with relapse or regression throughout the journey, and often bloom years after your energy was spent. Immediate gratification and results are rare in nursing. Caring for your own mental health is not a weakness but ensuring you can continue to care for patients in vulnerable situations for many years,” said Hammel.
After graduating, Strickler will take the FNP board certification exam before pursuing her first FNP job in primary care. Her time at the Daily Planet meant more than just accumulating a new experience. Strickler explains that for her, it meant time to consider her own growth, perspective and place in the profession. “I have grown so much through the family nurse practitioner program, and I feel both prepared and excited to take on the role of the advanced practice registered nurse, with an understanding of the importance of community and population health approaches in both practice and policy,” she said.
by Moira Neve
Categories Alumni and Friends, News