Nursing students resume in-person training at the Institute
March 24, 2021
The Institute for Family Health has always welcomed students from a variety of disciplines to rotate at our federally qualified health centers. This past year, placements have been very limited due to the need to keep staff and patients socially distanced. However, in February 2021, the Institute welcomed ten nursing students from the Helene Fuld College of Nursing to work at three of our NYC locations. The students are completing their medical/surgical clinical rotation with the Institute. They are involved in screening and hypertension education, and collaborate with staff to operate our COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
This eight-week rotation provides these Bachelor level students with practical experience in caring for patients in a busy primary care setting, as well as the opportunity to learn the important role of nurses in health promotion. Though they have only been on site for a few weeks, three of the students shared their thoughts on training during the pandemic, and their new rotation at the Institute’s Family Health Center of Harlem.
Claribel Hiraldo: “Our first clinical rotation ended just before the pandemic started in March last year, and since then we have done our training through virtual simulations. I have just started my first clinical rotation placement since then, and I see that nothing compares to the experience of working with patients in-person.”
Daniela Onakpoma: “While this is a very rigorous program, we missed out on a lot of clinical opportunities in 2020 due to COVID. Up to this point, we did our training through online simulations. But during this rotation, I’ve learned so many new skills and little tricks that I know will make me a better nurse.”
Coumba Gueye: “This rotation has given me experience working directly with the patients and helping them in-person. And in the end, that’s why I became a nurse: to help people and to help my community.”
We are proud to host these dedicated students at our health centers, and grateful to them for their ongoing commitment to serve.
