Students Educate Newcomers about Disease Prevention
Regina Campus students recently provided education sessions on disease prevention for newcomers.
In light of the recent COVID-2019 (Coronavirus) outbreak, nursing students from our Regina Campus partnered with the Regina Immigrant Women Centre to educate newcomers about Influenza and COVID-2019.
Arti Sharma and Puneet Sangha are currently completing their 4th year practicum in community nursing. “When news of COVID-2019 developed, we thought about what we as community health nursing students could do to help,” said Arti. The Regina Immigrant Women Centre serves newcomers from over 30 countries, each with a different level of English language proficiency. “By partnering with the Regina Immigrant Women Centre and their translators we were able to deliver important disease prevention information for newcomers to Canada,” said Puneet.
The students did interactive presentations, answered questions and performed a glo-germ handwashing activity to show the newcomers how important handwashing is. Sharma and Sangha describe the experience as follows. “There were colourful discussions in many different languages. At the end when we asked clients what they learned, they said handwashing, coughing into your elbow, call 8-1-1 for symptoms if exposed, and no discrimination! Some of the individuals even took pictures of the presentation to help them remember.”
The group of newcomers included a number of people from the Chinese community, a community currently experiencing so much loss and devastation as a result of COVID-2019. “The group of Chinese newcomers who participated in the educational presentations expressed that they felt supported and cared for,” said College of Nursing Instructor Joleen Klassen, who oversees the nursing students. “They shared their appreciation for the up-to-date information and said the presentation and handouts were very helpful.”
Neelu Sachdev is the Executive Director at the Regina Immigrant Women Centre. “I am so grateful that we have these nursing students doing their practicum at our centre,” says Neelu. Puneet and Arti have empowered our clients with essential and easy to understand information about the coronavirus and how to protect themselves when we really needed it. My concern was aired to Joleen, who then managed to not only get some preliminary information for our staff to circulate, but got the students to develop the workshop and deliver it. Such a great help! Thank you!”
“As community health nurses, it is our role to build trust and relationships in the community and work together with our clients on their identified health priorities,” responded Joleen. “The work the students did at the Regina Immigrant Women Centre is a perfect example of community nursing in action.”