My week at the Salvation Army educating clients about cholesterol was a great opportunity and I learned a lot. I never realized that the Salvation Army does that much for our community and we don’t even know about it. I think an individual really has to go and see what services the Salvation Army provides to the community because they shelter and feed many unfortunate human beings. They not only shelter and feed them, but their program is set up where the clients have to be looking for a place to live or a job.
The Salvation Army does their best to push clients out of their facility as fast as they can ecause they know the clients have a place to live and are not homeless. Educating clients about the harmful effects of cholesterol and testing their cholesterol helped lead them to a healthier lifestyle not only in shelter but out in the community. When reflecting back on my personal goals, I feel I accomplish and met all of my goals. My first goal was to perform cholesterol screenings on three people and explain their results to them by 1800 on 12/2/15. I met this goal. I did four cholesterol screenings total.
I felt like a real nurse when I explained the results to the clients after their cholesterol creening because no one was watching from behind me. It also felt like the clients trusted me as a nurse when educating them on their results. I thought the cholesterol screens were very informational and useful for anyone who doesn’t have insurance or has never received cholesterol screening before. My second goal was to listen to someone sheltered at the Salvation Army about his or her experience or hardship they are going through to form trust, and then educate him/her on resources available by the public by 1800 on 12/2/15.
I met this goal. I definitely got to experience listening to clients at the Salvation Army. I thought they were more than willing to talk to me and share their stories with me along with me educating them on specific facilities in the community. My third goal was to educate a group of clients at the Salvation Army about the ranges their cholesterol should be between by 1800 on 12/2/15. I met this goal. This goal was achieved during the time I was standing at the front table and informing people on what cholesterol was as they walked up to the display board.
As talked to them about what ranges their levels should be between, most of the clients were interested in getting their holesterol checked to see if there levels were within normal limits. I feel as I surpassed my goals. The professional goals our group came up with we also did well with surpassing. Our first goal was to provide cholesterol testing for 10 clients at the Salvation Army by 1800 on 12/2/15. We met this goal. I know we surpassed our goal of 10 clients who received cholesterol testing because someone in our group was always doing cholesterol testing throughout the time we were there.
Our second goal was to provide education regarding lifestyle choices that can affect cholesterol levels to clients at Salvation Army by 1800 on 12/2/15. We met this goal. Our group definitely educated clients on healthy choices, and also different foods that one can eat to raise there good cholesterol and also lower their bad cholesterol. Our third goal is to assess and record ten blood pressures of clients at the Salvation Army by 1800 on 12/2/15. We met this goal. Our group definitely assessed and recorded ten blood pressures.
A lot of clients would come back to our group and just ask for their blood pressure to be checked. Every client who had their cholesterol checked also had to get their blood pressure checked. I feel as if our group worked hard to educate clients nd promote healthy living lifestyles to the homeless and poverty population. While I was at the Salvation Army, I listened to many clients but one experience that stood out to me was a young man who I tested his cholesterol. The man seemed really lonely, so I went up to him and asked him if he would like his cholesterol checked, he said yes.
He sat down on the chair, and I asked him where he was from. He was from Tucson, Arizona. The reason he came to La Crosse was because his fiance cheated on him and he wanted to kill the man she was with, with a gun, but instead he sold the gun and hopped on a bus and he got off in La Crosse. When he came to La Crosse he only took himself and a suitcase of clothes. He has been living at the warming shelter at night, and eats his meals during the day at the Salvation Army. He currently does not have any health insurance, no phone, or no permanent housing. This man has nothing.
He stated that he smokes and drinks, because why not? It broke my heart hearing about this man’s life. As a nurse, I listened to him tell me his story, and I provided sympathy along with education on available resources in the community. He was always connected with one guy who made me feel better that e had at least one person in his life he could talk to and hang out with. This man’s story changed my thoughts as a nurse. I have never heard any story about him or any stories about people living on the street. I have realized that people are living in poverty and homeless right here in La Crosse.
As a nurse, I now take in consideration the other factors than health that apply to a person. While at the Salvation Army, I provided culturally sensitive care by not having any beliefs or judgments made against anyone. This experience made me learn a completely different culture than I ever have, and it made a ositive impact on me. While providing culturally sensitive care, I responded to patients. I was open to their beliefs, did not judge them for being at a shelter, and wanted to provide the most education and care to them.
These individuals are suffering inside and may just of wanted someone to talk to or share their experiences with me. I also took in part the environment they live in while in poverty or homeless. There are many things that contribute to the environment at the Salvation Army. First, the meals are donated by stores around the community and are made every day for free. Even hough they may be two to three days old, the clients love the meals because they do not have any other food. Next, the Salvation Army only accepts individuals who are alcohol free at night.
They do a breathalyzer when they come in the door to sleep at night. The clients may be on drugs or smoke, but they cannot be disruptive. Next, the families get a little room to sleep in, if available to them. The men all sleep in the cafeteria and pull out their beds every night to lay on. Next, most of the clients do not have any health insurance, phone, or place to live. This increases the chance of the clients getting an illness, a hronic disease, or being suicidal. These factors affect me as a nurse, because we want to provide the upmost care for them and find available resources for them.
That is why the Salvation Army is different from most places and makes the clients go out in the community and look for a job or place to stay. As a leader, manager, and designer in the coordination of care it is my job to push people in the right direction of care. I need to help clients reach their full potential and sometimes sitting down and listening to them helps them feel more motivated. As a leader, if people are sitting down on the street, I should stop and offer he/she a resource to better their care.
Being a leader in the community is an important aspect in this population because many of the clients have no hope anymore because of their situation. My job as a leader is to bring them hope and joy to their lives even though they may be in a difficult situation. Also as a leader, I educate them on health screenings, like the cholesterol screening, and then the clients can find free screenings or clinics to better their individual health. Being a leader is not putting my thoughts and beliefs into taking care of an individual, but helping them become a better person hroughout this difficulty and providing them with a positive attitude.
The Salvation Army was a life changing experience that I will always take into account when listening or taking care of individuals not only in the hospital but in everyday life. I am glad I got the opportunity to experience the Salvation Army with CARING. I hope we can continue to make a difference in the lives of the poverty and the homeless. Hopefully more people will continue to find jobs and housing everyday to lessen the people who are homeless and in poverty. The Salvation Army is providing wonderful care to these individuals.