Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Coming Alongside Women Experiencing Homelessness, Alexis Dang, Brianna Cowan, Tashayla Braxton, Ellen Jacobs, Elizabeth Cortes, Erin Smith

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Coming Alongside Women Experiencing Homelessness

Executive Summary

Six nursing students attending Seattle Pacific University (SPU), partnered with a women’s day center to provide and support healthcare needs for a leadership project. During the first few weeks of being at the shelter, we visited the agency site to get a better understanding of the population and have a greater idea of what the focus problems should be. Our assessments consisted of a windshield survey, in-person observations, and conversations with the shelter director, staff, and women to identify barriers within their healthcare services. We further gathered assessment information from our instructor, who …

Triaging Your Health Concerns, James Bato Borja, Jasleen Mendoza, Addie Mccuistion, Jordan Artz, Julia Greeley, Ashley Diloreto

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Improving Health Literacy on Appropriate Use of Medical Services

As part of a nursing leadership project, a team of nursing students at Seattle Pacific University (SPU) collaborated with a Washington State affordable independent living facility for seniors; they focused on providing information on the appropriate use of emergency care, urgent care, and primary care services for various health concerns. This project began with a team member recognizing a pattern within the older adult population entering the Emergency Department (ED). This observation showed that a noticeable portion of the older adult population could benefit from clarification about when to seek out …

Healthy Coping Mechanisms Within The Recovery Setting, Ingrid Erickson, Izzi Hill, Ylliam Umipig, Hallie Hicks, Hanin Ghazal, Hannah Haynes

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Healthy Coping Mechanisms Within the Recovery Setting

Introduction

Nineteen percent of the Seattle-Tacoma Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population ages 12 and older are using illicit drugs (Brief, 2012). And twenty-two percent have an excessive alcohol use disorder (Brief, 2012). Six Seattle Pacific University nursing students (the team) were assigned a leadership project at a recovery center in downtown Seattle. The recovery center is a non-profit organization that aims to provide hope, healing, and community to those within the recovery community. Members have experienced anything from homelessness to addiction, trauma, and mental health struggles and the center provides a way to …

Developing A Caregiver Educational Tool For Children With Behavior Issues, Grace Healy, Elise Arkills, Joshua Anderson, Emma Vetter, David Njeri, Avery Strieby

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Developing a Caregiver Educational Tool for Children with Behavior Issues

The team was tasked to create a health-based solution for problems facing a non-profit agency. The agency is a branch of an organization in King County, where providing critical familial needs, strengthening familial bonds, and preventing homelessness are the primary aims. Last year, the agency was able to assist 669 families, and the numbers are continuing to grow as more resources become available.

The team included six Seattle Pacific University nursing students, who are enrolled in a Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement course. After collaborative meetings with the managers at …

A Video Based Training Review, Sarah Kessel, Rachel Cyers, Alicia Johnson, Macky Juan, Malia Lafrance, Julia Zajac

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

A Video Based Training Review

This project addresses the issue of homeless youth in Seattle by supporting those working with this population. Our intervention intends to provide staff with training materials to better support the homeless youth in Seattle. The agency that we are partnering with provides temporary housing for homeless youth and seeks to find permanent housing solutions. The purpose of our project is to help agency employees review and assess their knowledge on selected topics relevant to their initial training. This project compiles a collection of evidence-based training videos with knowledge competency quizzes to help strengthen understanding on …

Modifying Aha Stress Management And Physical Activity Modules For Senior Communities, Madai Molina Apolinar, Kristina Luu, Sarah Allen, Samantha Isabel Pio Argueta, Annalise P. Sanders, Emil Visaya

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Modifying AHA Stress Management and Physical Activity Modules for Senior Communities

This quarter our group was given the opportunity to partner with two organizations to conduct work surrounding blood pressure and heart health education. One of our partners was a senior living organization whose mission is to transform beliefs about affordable housing through supporting communities where seniors and families can thrive. We also collaborated with the American Heart Association (AHA), which seeks to combat cardiovascular disease and stroke for the improvement and overall health of the population.

For this project, we were tasked with simplifying the AHA “Check. Change. Control.” …

Youth Shelter Bed Bugs & Lice Education, Madeline Mary Rettenmier, Elvina S. Kuzubov, Quoc H. Phan, Megan Myra Joseph, Allie Mechtel

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Youth Shelter Bed Bugs & Lice Education
Allie Mechtel, Maddy Rettenmier, Elvina Kuzubov, Megan Joseph, Kevin Phan
School of Health Sciences, Seattle Pacific University
NUR 4153: Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement
Leah Ngoche DNP, MPH, ARNP-BC
8 November 2023

Youth Shelter Bed Bugs & Lice Education

Introduction

Seattle Pacific University Nursing students were assigned a fifth quarter leadership project in the greater Seattle area. Our group was assigned to a youth shelter located in Belltown, Seattle Washington. It is a thirty-bed, animal friendly shelter for young individuals looking for a safe place to stay. They offer long-term housing for those …

Adapting The Aha’S Blood Pressure And Nutrition Management Program Into Digestible Teaching Plans For Low-Income Communities, Truc Huynh, Jemina Lynn B. Estepa, Fritz Reanne A. Obungen, Katelyn Marie Clasey, Kirsty Keitges, Serah M. Kimani, Hailey Rae Tauscheck, Andrew David Rhoades

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Executive Summary: Adapting the AHA’s blood pressure and nutrition management program into digestible teaching plans for low-income communities

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 46% of American adults have high blood pressure (Whelton et al., 2017). High blood pressure, especially for those above the age of 50, is associated with a higher prevalence of heart disease and a shorter life expectancy. The AHA’s Check Change Control program (CCC), is an evidence based, self-directed blood pressure management guide (American Heart Association, 2021). The CCC program incorporates four lesson topics related to lifestyle changes to manage hypertension. The four topics are: …

Coping Strategies To Promote Mental Wellness, Luma Aziz, Domonique Jackson, Jessica Herzog, Molly Mcdonough, Ashley Kim, Arianne Faye Villaflor

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Coping Strategies to Promote Mental Wellness

Over eight weeks, our nursing school leadership team collaborated with a Seattle non- profit agency whose mission is to provide resources, planning, and housing to families with children experiencing homelessness. Our team’s overarching goal by the end of this project, based on the needs expressed by the agency, was to create a tool that provides resources and coping skills to families experiencing homelessness to improve mental health and promote wellness.

Background

The population that is served by the agency includes families with at least one child under the age of eighteen, children with medical …

Addressing Oral Health Within A Women's Homeless Community, Annika Hogan, Hannah Cadelina, Simran Kaur, Vannessa Decastro, Yoshiko Sano Sano, Fatou Sonko, Machaela Urbick

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Addressing Oral Health Within a Women’s Homeless Community

Introduction

Seven nursing students attending Seattle Pacific University (SPU) partnered with a women’s day center to serve population healthcare needs for a leadership project. In the first few weeks, we visited the agency site to get familiar with the population and have a deeper understanding of what our group should address. Our goal for this project is to identify an issue of concern and address the issue using the nursing process. The women’s day center is for women who are experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is unfortunately a big problem in the city of …

Implementing Health Information Stations At Addiction Recovery Center, Esther Yi, Daryn Hernandez, Maryam Umer, Jasmine Alvarez, Kaitlyn Ward, Riciajoy Padilla

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Implementing Health Information Stations at the Addiction Recovery Center

Six Seattle Pacific University nursing students partnered with an addiction recovery center to address aging healthcare concerns. The recovery center is a non-profit organization that provides a refuge for healing for community members recovering from trauma, homelessness, addiction, and other mental health challenges. Through our weekly meetings with the community, we wanted to address specific barriers such as aging healthcare concerns. We focused on how the low-income aging population posed barriers to aging well.

Background

There has also been a rise in poverty in aging populations (Saldanha, 2023). Though aging influences …

Engaging Sleeplessness In Seattle At Clinical Site 1, Benjamin D. Masters, Luis Moreno Nunez, Ally Jo Veenhuizen, Kiana Rendorio

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Introduction

The National Library of Medicine notes an emerging area of research interest is the relationship between substance abuse and sleep (Mahfoud et al., 2009). According to the same 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “7.6 percent of Americans older than 12 years met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence” and goes on to highlight the mundanity of sleep disorder. Additionally, the 2008 National Sleep Foundation’s “Sleep in American” poll demonstrated “addicts in recovery are 5 to 10 times more likely to experience sleep disorders.” (Moufoud et al., 2009). Clinical Site 1 is an agency in Downtown …

Women’S Shelter Health Needs Assessment, Asmait Woldu, Kelly Dona, Anna Frediani, Andrea Herrejon-Duran

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Women’s Shelter Health Needs Assessment

Introduction

Homelessness is currently one of the biggest societal issues in the United States and evidence indicates it is increasing, particularly for women (McGeough et al., 2020). A group of nursing students from Seattle Pacific University teamed up with a women’s homeless shelter in a Metropolitan city. The agency provides shelter and warm meals as well as laundry, toiletries, bus tickets and more. But even with the resources that they do provide, the residents have other needs that are not fully met, particularly with regard to their health. This is due in large to a …

Wound Care For Unhoused Youth, Diana Altman, Monse Villasenor, Grace Fry, Maddy Johnson, Matthew Messenger

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Wound Care For Unhoused Youth

Introduction

We partnered with a non-profit organization designed to serve the unhoused youth, ages 18-25, who have a day program as well as an overnight shelter. They have 30 beds and reserve 20 of those beds for individuals who are “residents,” who commit to staying for several nights and work towards finding more permanent options. The other 10 beds are for individuals to use for a single night, but these are not always guaranteed, you must sign up to save a spot. The day program has various activities ranging from painting to resume workshops and …

Supportive Resources For Unhoused Individuals & Families, Grace Felder, Jordyn Henson, Kial Neang, Nasha Phansangiam, Taylee Thain

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Introduction

Since 2016 King County’s unsheltered homeless individuals have increased by 24% and families experiencing homelessness have increased by 26% (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2021). In the past 5 years, homelessness has risen by 10% in King County alone (NAEH, 2021). Our agency was an emergency family shelter located in King County that “ensures that no child sleeps outside by centering equity and opportunity for women and families” (Mary’s Place Seattle, n.d.-a). This facility has 5 other family center facilities that provide shelter and resources. Since 1999, our agency with its 6 facilities have aided thousands of women and …

Resources To Promote Senior Independence, Amanda Anderson, Sheree Mae Cacal, Sophia Gallego, Madyson Grant, Lola Wallace

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Resources to Promote Senior Independence

Introduction

Our group of five students from Seattle Pacific University's Lydia Green nursing program assessed the community of an independent senior apartment complex that provides affordable housing for adults aged 65+ in the Seattle area run under Sustainable Housing for Ageless Generations (SHAG). This assignment is for our leadership project and occurred over an 8-week period. During this time, we applied the nursing process to assess, diagnose, plan, and implement an intervention specific to a population's needs. The community faced issues of resource access, exacerbated by the population's low income and age. Our focus was …

Developmental Boxes, Karina Ryabinina, Lauren Kelly, Marissa Bankey, Kaila Medeiros, Sammy Schultz

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Developmental Boxes

The assigned facility is a resource center that operates to assist families in need. Services offered include housing placement, homelessness prevention, securement of affordable childcare, after-school programs, and health education. The center has served the Mount Baker community for nearly three years and intends to continue partnering with public services to end the cycle of poverty and create brighter futures for those who need it most (Mercy Housing, 2021).

Our team conducted a windshield survey of the community served by the facility and determined there to be limited access to childcare in the area as well as minimal …

Mouth Care Is Self-Care, Abigail Waunch, Katelynn Huot, Aleya J. Germany, Oleksandra Shmatok, Elizabeth M. Cortes, Cortney M. Firns

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

In February of 2023, six Seattle Pacific University (SPU) nursing students partnered with a Seattle rehab agency to deliver mouth care education while prioritizing the health literacy level of the community. The agency aims to foster an inclusive and empathetic environment that builds a diverse community for those traumatized by homelessness, addiction, and mental health (Recovery Café, n.d.). The nursing group upheld the agency's mission with honor and respect during each project step. The special projects manager of the agency expressed a lack of health literacy among members. Tailoring health literacy to the appropriate education level has significantly improved dental …

Executive Summary Of Survey Among Temporarily Homeless Families, Berenice M. Casas Rodriguez, Andrea Munoz, Kalea Soto, Ava Beranek, Reagan Watson, Kimberly Brown, Amelia Navarro

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Executive Summary of Survey Project Among Temporarily Homeless Families

The agency we were assigned is a non-profit organization centered around providing housing and resources for houseless families in the Seattle region. The agency consists of five housing locations along with additional day centers. The housing locations are Burien, Northshore, The Regrade, Bellevue, and the Family Diversion Center. They all offer family housing services, healthcare, education, and employment.

The goal of our project was to gather information from guests on the healthcare services that they have utilized. It was also used to gather requests for additional services at each site to …

Art And Exercise Therapy As Coping Strategies To Promote A Sense Of Community, Denali Mcconnel, Richard Chu, Annelise Nguyen, Aisha Osman, Ellie Prince, Alana Wells

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Introduction

This women’s day and overnight center has over fifty-five beds for single adult women experiencing homelessness and provides two meals a day. Residents also have access to bathrooms, showers, laundry, personal storage lockers, and group activities. Other services provided are community resources, such as housing assistance, and a clinic next door.

Seattle Pacific University (SPU) students were able to get to know these ladies and observe their attitudes and behaviors, and they discovered the need for coping strategies and community. In their observation the students noticed that most women seem to keep to themselves. To address this need, SPU …

Addressing Knowledge Deficit Around Narcan Administration In Unhoused Youth In The Greater Seattle Area, Olivia Boron, Lizzy Carlson, Macie Leach, Casey Burk, Michele Mojarro, Sydney Porter

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Introduction

For our project we worked with a non profit organization in downtown Seattle that serves houseless youth ages 18-25 with a day center and overnight shelter. Their day center has health clinics, serves lunches, and provides creative activities for the houseless to enjoy. Their overnight shelters are open every night for the houseless, providing 30 beds. The goal of the facility is to end homelessness among youth by partnering with them on their journey towards housing and sustainability. Recently, the center was approved to become a Narcan (naloxone) distribution site. When assessing the needs of the facility we identified …

Addressing A Lack Of Education Surrounding Fentanyl Use And Recovery, Nicole Sala, Luciana Gonzalez, Caroline Dorvilien, Teo Keilwitz, Maddy Terhune, Portia Forson

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Nursing Leadership Executive Summary: Addressing a Lack of Education Surrounding Fentanyl Use and Recovery

Our project focused on assisting a nonprofit organization who exists to serve the most vulnerable of families in the Seattle area. They offer a number of programs including a mobile outreach team that seeks to bring resources to families, a program for families which provides the opportunity for new mothers to bond with their newborn, and another program which assists families with medically fragile children to find healthcare resources, and more. Our team was made up of six students from the Lydia Green Nursing Program at …

Health Services Survey, Doan (Delaney) Le, Hannah Gries, Cassandra Roy, Lesley Rabago, Franzelle Macaspac

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Health Services Survey

The agency we partnered with is a nonprofit organization committed to serving the needs of women and their families who are experiencing unstable or absent housing. They help to provide emergency shelter to families across five locations in the Seattle area and provide services surrounding housing, healthcare, employment, and community. They also have specialty programs aimed at providing services to children who are medically fragile and require specialized care, and families who have recently given birth and are still in the recovery and bonding stages. All this work is delivered with the values of love, equity, stewardship, …

Food Resources For The Allen Family Center, Anna Kolbjornsrud, Jagrup Kaur, Simran Kaur, Talyn Miller, Chloe Schrader

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Food Resources for the Allen Family Center

Allen Family Center (AFC), a part of the nonprofit organization Mary’s Place, is a family driven resource hub that focuses on the needs and goals of families experiencing or on the verge of homelessness (Mercy Housing, 2022). They use a multigenerational approach to break the cycle of homelessness which promotes inclusivity, safety and provides opportunities to improve health (Mercy Housing, 2022).

When meeting with the team, we identified a concern as the limited food supplies available to AFC and the lack of food outreach they can provide. Providing resources to the community is …

Infection Control: Proper Handwashing Technique Within A Vulnerable Population, Seattle Pacific University

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Introduction

Recovery Café is a place of healing and recovery for those experiencing a variety of different kinds of traumas and experiences, whether it be homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and others. This alcohol and drug free space is provided for members so that they can build relationships amongst each other, and gain access to resources such as housing, employment, support circles, social and health services. Typically open from 12-6, this community provides two free meals a day, resources, and ongoing support for their members regardless of past trauma, behaviors, and mistakes. Since the largest population group in this community, …

New Horizon's Staff Decisional Conflict Flowchart, Tayler Hart, Aysha Caoili, Emily Nguyen, Fatou Kanteh, Julia Chen, Andra Onu

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

New Horizon’s Staff Decisional Conflict Flowchart

New Horizons was founded in 1998 by Father Don, a Greek Orthodox priest who did street outreach with homeless youth outside a donut shop near Pike Place Market (New Horizons, n.d.). He discovered that youth would rather live on the backstreets of Seattle than seek shelter and help from current service providers. After conversations with the youth and young adults (YYA), Father Don started an institution that specifically targeted homeless youth and the unstable housed population. To be different and accessible to all individuals, New Horizons adopted a low barrier system designed to serve …

Creative Methods For Improving Health Literacy In Underserved Communities, Riley Clark, Grace Lance, Beth Reid, Jenny Nguyen, Makenzie Mclauchlan, Kiara Maningat

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

In 2003, Recovery Café was founded with the goal of providing long-term recovery support to those in the margins, including those experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges (Recovery Café, 2022). Recovery Café provides members with the support needed to gain and maintain access to housing, social and health services, healthy relationships, education, and employment (Recovery Café, 2022). Recovery Café provides this support by offering a safe space, with nutritious meals, fostering a loving community, and providing resources such as educational opportunities, 12-step meetings, and referral services (Recovery Café, 2022). In 2022, the Seattle Pacific University Lydia Green Nursing Program …

Creative Methods For Improving Health Literacy In Underserved Communities, Grace Lance, Riley Clark, Beth Reid, Makenzie Mclauchlan, Jenny Nguyen, Kiara Maningat

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Creative Methods for Improving Health Literacy in Underserved Communities

In 2003, Recovery Café was founded with the goal of providing long-term recovery support to those in the margins, including those experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges (Recovery Café, 2022). Recovery Café provides members with the support needed to gain and maintain access to housing, social and health services, healthy relationships, education, and employment (Recovery Café, 2022). Recovery Café provides this support by offering a safe space, with nutritious meals, fostering a loving community, and providing resources such as educational opportunities, 12-step meetings, and referral services (Recovery Café, 2022). In …

Health Promotion By Using Collaborative Educational Games For The Women Of Angeline’S, Sinclair Ralston, Carmen Connolly, Alexsis Azcueta, Theresa Domingo, Natalie Gray, Ashley Reola

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Introduction

Founded in 1894, the Seattle Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) was developed to support and empower women of all ages, races, and backgrounds. Since then, the Seattle YWCA has grown and focused its efforts on addressing racial and socioeconomic disparities, especially inequities found within the female homeless population (Andrews, 2004). Angeline’s Day Center is a program offered by YWCA and is located in downtown Seattle. It serves approximately 200 women a day by providing overnight shelter, breakfast and lunch services, healthcare access, and amenities like showers, bathrooms, and laundry (“Angeline’s Day Center”, 2022). After completing a windshield survey and …

Community Isolation Project, Natalie M. Danhof, Lydia Santucci, Abigail Dempsey, Nathaniel Navarro, Ivy Mills, Samantha Thompson

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Introduction

The authors of this summary are nursing students at Seattle Pacific University, and the project goal is focused on understanding feelings of isolation in elderly communities and whether fostering social activities, such as Bingo, would improve social interaction between residents in this community.

For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered various aspects of social interaction. From masking to social distancing, societal norms and expectations evolved in a manner that promoted isolation and minimal interaction to inhibit the spread of Covid infection between individuals. Of the general populace, the most vulnerable and at risk for infection are …