Fall 2022 Owensboro Update

December 12, 2022

The Owensboro Extension has had a very busy semester. Below are highlights of what has been happening this year.

The Learning Villa

The Owensboro Student Council is providing a Christmas stocking for each of the 76 children living at the Learning Villa. The Learning Villa provides housing for college students and their dependents. Each cohort has been asked to donate appropriate items for the stockings such as Christmas candy, Christmas socks, coloring books, crayons, sticker books, or small toys. Stockings will be personalized with the child's name and the student council will have a day during finals week to put together stockings and deliver them to the children.

Trail of Treats

Students participated in the Halloween Trail of Treats in downtown Owensboro on Thursday, October 27th. The Trail of Treats is sponsored by the city of Owensboro. The event is geared toward children under 10 years of age. The Owensboro Student Council collected over 9,500 pieces through friendly competition between cohorts. Members of the student council, students, and faculty dressed up for the event to pass out candy.

Information Sessions

Each semester the University of Louisville's School of Nursing, Owensboro Extension, holds an Information Session for prospective students and their families. The purpose of the Information Session is to spread awareness in the community about our presence and deliver guidance to students who wish to transfer to the Owensboro Extension's Traditional or ABSN programs. This fall semester session was facilitated by Dr. Amy Higdon and Admissions Counselor, Victoria Ochoa.

A flyer for the Information Session was sent to surrounding high schools and colleges including Henderson Community College, Madisonville Community College, Owensboro Community, and Technical College, Brescia University, and Kentucky Wesleyan College. The Information Session registration page received 436 views and 36 RSVPs. Of those 36 RSVPs, 17 were prospective students who attended with family.

The Information Session included introductions from faculty and staff, a presentation overview of the nursing programs offered at the Owensboro Extension, information from nurse recruiters at Owensboro Health about tuition assistance opportunities and the nurse externship program, a panel of current nursing students to share their experiences about nursing school, and a tour of the facility. All students who attended were sent follow-up information from the academic counselor, Victoria Ochoa.

Compassionate Care Adult Day Center

Fourth-semester Global Health students worked with the Compassionate Care Adult Day Center. Students met with a nurse along with a couple of other employees to determine their needs. It was decided that there was a need for more activities for the clients to participate in. These activities had to take into consideration client limitations, space limitations, and resource limitations. The students decided to spend time with the clients (most of whom have autism) to figure out their ability to perform certain activities and they made sure activities were included from which the clients can benefit.

OCEE During Midterm Break

On Tuesday, November 4th, students, and faculty from the Owensboro Extension provided community service at the Senior Center of Owensboro by painting the Center's exercise room.
After completing the painting task, the group enjoyed a meal together and stuffed welcome bags for children at the new women's and children's shelter, My Sister's Keeper. The group then organized donations at the International Center of Kentucky, Owensboro Campus donation center to complete the day.

International Center Health Fair

One of the Owensboro Extension clinical groups, supervised by Angie Mehringer hosted a Health Fair in collaboration with the International Center of Kentucky, Owensboro Campus. The health fair was hosted at First Christian Church of Owensboro on Saturday, November 12th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. A total of 112 refugees attended the health fair and 56 immunizations were given by a collaborative community partner, the Green River District Health Department.

The fall festival theme provided a cozy and welcoming environment for clients and volunteers to visit with one another. Children enjoyed face painting, pumpkin bowling, ball toss, fishing for prizes, hula hoops, and jump rope while adults learned about the importance of self-care and healthy coping, dental hygiene, and car seat safety provided by collaborative community partner, Owensboro Health Perinatal Education. Five booster seats were distributed and one referral for a convertible infant car seat was made.

Kentucky Women In Agriculture Conference

Community Health Nursing and Global Public Health Nursing students provided health screening and health teaching in collaboration with Dr. Cheryl Witt and Raising Hope at the annual Kentucky Women in Agriculture Conference: Rooted in Community on October 10th and 11th. Students screened 28 individuals on Day 1 and 18 on Day 2. The conference had approximately 100 participants in attendance. Students provided blood pressure screening and blood glucose screening, as well as education on diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, and stress prevention and management.

Blessing of the Hands

Nurses Christian Fellowship Student Affinity Group hosted a Blessing of the Hands program in conjunction with Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Kentucky. An HPC Chaplain conducted the program at the Heartford House Meditation Room. All students and faculty were invited to attend the program. Blessing of the hands is a symbolic representation of how the hands should be used to deliver care and compassion and be a blessing to all that nurses encounter.

CPR Anytime & First Aid Workshops with Girls Inc.

Assistant Professor Angie Mehringer and one of her clinical groups facilitated a two-day hands-on health workshop. The workshop was attended by 13 girls who are part of Girls Inc. On the first day, the participants learned bystander CPR and on the second day, 15 girls participated in four first-aid stations to learn first-aid techniques. Day 2 was facilitated by Dr. Amber Thomas and her clinical group. The participants had the opportunity to tour the simulation room.

Global Public Health Disaster Exercise

Students collaborated with Owensboro Emergency Management and Owensboro Health to participate in the annual disaster exercise at Owensboro Airport. Faculty participated by helping with moulage and assumed the role of family members of victims. Students assumed the victims' role, allowing them to observe the first responders' response to the disaster. After the exercise students had the opportunity to participate in a group debrief. Denise Bell from Owensboro Emergency Management introduced Emergency Management and Disaster Response. Dr. Amber Thomas conducted a pre-briefing and an overview of disaster triage before the experience.