Nursing Students Map Health Assets of East Tampa
Students from the USF College of Nursing participated in the East Tampa Asset Mapping Project, developing a listing of the health resources available to the East Tampa Community.
Description:
During Spring 2004 five students from the USF College of Nursing participated in the East Tampa Asset Mapping Project during Spring 2004. They were students in the Community/Public Health Nursing Clinical for Licensed Registered Nurses, taught by Norma Conner Ph.D., RN.
These five students were part of a class of 35 students completing their community clinical rotations across nine Florida counties; each of these students completes a Service-Learning Project as part of class. The five students, Ashley Valenti, Judeline Docteur, Melissa Holden, Sandra Appiah, and Tracy Porter, are all RNs and are in the RN-to-BSN program.
The students engaged in orientations at some gracious agency sites including the Community Development Center of Tampa and Central Hillsborough Healthy Start. They participated in a bus tour of the community, which helped them identify geographical boundaries and gain an appreciation for the history of the community.
Through phone contacts, visits and online listings, they developed a listing of the health resources available to the East Tampa Community. It is important to note that not all of the resources frequently used by the community residents were within the neighborhood’s geographic boundaries. This is particularly true of the hospitals.
The students developed a comprehensive guide that included 13 pharmacies, two medical supply companies, six diagnostic and imaging centers, four home health agencies, one hospice, three assisted living facilities, eight dental providers, one pediatrician, one podiatrist, 11 primary care physicians or clinics, one chiropractic clinic, three hospitals, nine specialty organizations such as Easter Seals, six substance abuse centers or support groups, six mental health resources, six senior citizen resources, and four transportation services.
Where possible, for each of these resources the name, address, contact information of the agency, services available, and methods of payment or insurance coverage the agency accepted was provided.
In addition to creating the guide, the students offered substance abuse prevention education to about 120 students at Ferrell Middle School. Their booklets were available at the USF Research Day held April 21, and they have since been distributed at East Tampa community gatherings. The resource booklets also will be distributed to all of the agencies that are listed, and any future community residents and participants who have an interest in East Tampa Health Resources. Additionally, the listing will be posted on a USF website which can be continually updated, and will be made available to the community residents.
Contact Person: Norma Conner
Funding for Academic Year: 2003-04