Nursing

WCC Community Health Nursing Community Immersion in the New Normal

by Kevin L. de Vera | Faculty, College of Nursing

December 29, 2020

As governments of the world fight to end COVID-19 pandemic, academic institutions on its own front, are faced with the challenges of the nationwide imposed community quarantine. To ensure quality teaching-learning experience, and to protect the learners from COVID-19, innovative strategy in Community Health Nursing (CHN) RLE course explored, with careful considerations, virtual community immersion. To protect students from the dire situation caused by the pandemic, all possible online methods were explored and utilized, such as using Zoom, Facebook messengers, Facebook groups and pages. In this backdrop, as the professor in charge of delivering the CHN course to WCC nursing students - I walked through the students to maximize online platforms as they move towards accomplishing their RLE, specific to getting involved in actual program planning and development of strategies in addressing pressing health issues identified by our partner community.
COMMUNITYIMMERSION (1).mp4
The CHN students worked through online means with GM Bicol for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (GM Bicol for brevity), a community-based organization. The community-based organization, GM Bicol, in this initiative is an advocacy group and service provider of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, like HIV screening, counseling and providing technical support to other institutions. The group is based in Daraga, Albay and operates in the Bicol Region. As a community group, they have a wide online reach in the community they serve. The organization has been in public health and development work since 2015. Given their experience and expertise, the WCC College of Nursing finds it valuable to join hands with GM Bicol in enabling CHN students to have their Community Health Nursing related-learning experiences with GM Bicol.This community immersion allowed our students to learn by doing and work closely with their own teammates and community partners to achieving the following goals:1. Assume the roles of a CHN nurse in the context of Filipino culture and populations;2. Develop COPAR programs to improve the situation of communities and population groups;3. Collaborate with other community health workers in enforcing the programs set for the community;4. Perform proper assessment of the community to identify community needs; and5. Assume the role of a professional nurse that seeks continuous learning in the field of CHN.The engagement happened on October 24, 2020 to December 30, 2020. During the entry phase, the CHN 2 class introduced themselves and the purpose of the activity. Nursing process was applied in engaging GM Bicol and a series of assessment and learning exchanges happened during the entry phase of the community engagement. The CHN class was divided into two groups and prepared their separate program of interventions according to the needs derived from initial conversations with GM Bicol. The need to support HIV education and mainstreaming the discourse about this decades-long HIV-pandemic, is among the top of the list of concerns the CHN students recognized. The group also recognized the need to continue to talk about HIV and AIDS amid COVID pandemic, when most HIV services and information and education activities by government agencies were temporarily halted, due to the shift of health programs to COVID response.

Project HOPE

Project HOPE (HIV on people's emotions) focused on creating online engagements in mainstreaming discussions on HIV and AIDS. The group chose to organize HIV education campaigns through webinars and launch an online jam and concert where the group invited social media and local artists to mainstream their campaign.

From my point of view as their Professor in this course, I find the innovation and creativity of the group remarkable, especially when they gathered in one activity a number of social media influencers to talk about their thoughts and actively invite them to join the advocacy movement on HIV. In this digital age, it is evident that most young people listen more to social media influencers, then to announcements issued by the health office. The approach made by the Project HOPE team is relevant to these present times, and is very strategic.

AID-ing One Another

AID-ing One Another team focused their energy on developing information, education, and campaign (IEC) materials like posters and short video clips about HIV/AIDS facts. Their initiative zeroed in to advance HIV information through catchy and lively videos which can be easily shared through social media platforms. The team likewise organized a FB Live discussion about HIV/AIDS. As their professor, I commend the approach timely especially that we are in the age of TikToks and memes. Looking into the HIV situation in the country, we are seeing that more and more young people are getting this infection. By creating IEC materials which most young people are hooked into is a commendable strategy made by this group.A worth noting achievement of both groups coming from their professor is that I watch these two groups to still work together as one whole class. Through social activities like online raffle and online concert they held, the class is able to get massive support from the online community and was able to raise 17,388 which was donated to GM Bicol to supports its programs and service delivery along provision of HIV community-based screening and assistance to the 42 people living with HIV (PLHIV) under the organization's care. During the phase-out activity, a representative of the PLHIV community expressed his gratitude to the CHN students of WCC College of Nursing. He also shared that he felt inspired and empowered to find more youth who chose to help advance HIV advocacy in their own fronts. "When I was made aware of my HIV status, I thought I would be alone from that day onwards. I can only be thankful to you, that as nursing students you chose this issue for your activity. I find joy and inspiration from young people like you, I find myself a friend and an ally," shared by alias 'Ron' a PLHIV. Part of the engagement with GM Bicol is for the students to meet coaches. These coaches are public health workers and are volunteers of GM Bicol. One of three coaches is Nurse Freddie Boral, who commended the overwhelming performance of the class in this community immersion. He also shared, "apart from your engagement with us in your community health nursing, what you showed to GM Bicol and the bigger community we are serving, is the concept of leadership." Nurse Freddie emphasized that what the students did is evidence that through leadership, as nurses, we can influence. "As you have seen on how people were engaged in the online activities you conducted, through your leadership, you have influenced them,' he added.GM Bicol President, Mr. Richard Hayag also extended his utmost appreciation to the students and to the WCC College of Nursing, "Dios Mabalos saindong gabos!" (Thank you, all of you.)
Preventing COVID 19 at home by protecting oneself and others through healthy habits and behavior to limit the spread of COVID 19 in line with current pandemic/ECQ/GCQ, there is still an increasing number of infected persons.At the end of the discussion of this program, it aims to provide information on the specific healthy habits and behaviors to prevent the spread of COVID 19, understand the importance of healthy habits and behaviors at home and its effect to the family and community, and perform the correct ways to prevent the spread of COVID 19 via online video tutorials.
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Tayo Na-MAN

This program aims to improve the quality of life of male in the 40's and above. It conducts free assessments/ tests with education on the prevention of prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, formation of kidney stone and urinary tract infections.

Operation TULI

This annual project sought to decrease risks of UTI’s, STD’s and penile cancer through free circumcision and help parents of the adopted community who cannot afford to have their children be circumcised by a doctor. Students and faculty members in the allied-health programs are usually tapped to assist during this activity.

Feeding Program

Nursing and SIHM students weekly served preschool children in the community with balanced meals. They also educate their parents on proper health nutrition and hygiene. There are also other activities such as entertainment, feeding, and health teaching.