Blinn nursing students showcase their skills at Brazos Valley Council of Governments Community Health Fair
Students provide free health screenings for approximately 150 people
May 4, 2017
Ryan Gearner, a second-semester student in Blinn’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program, provides free health screenings for a patient during the Brazos Valley Council of Governments Community Health Fair. The health fair, a biannual event held at the Center for Regional Services in Bryan, features agencies from across the Brazos Valley that provide health and wellness resources to the community.
Students in Blinn College’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program recently put their skills on display during the Brazos Valley Council of Governments (BVCOG) Community Health Fair.
Blinn students provided free health screenings, including height, weight, vision, hearing, blood pressure, and diabetes, for approximately 150 people. In addition to the health checks, students discussed preventative care measures and answered medical questions.
“The Community Health Fair is a great opportunity to bond with patients and educate them on the importance of good medical practices,” said Alicia Gesing, a second-semester ADN student. “The patients we interact with are of different ages, backgrounds, and health knowledge, so catching any abnormalities early can be very beneficial in preventing long-term diseases or helping them to manage current conditions.”
The Community Health Fair, a biannual event held at the Center for Regional Services in Bryan, features agencies from across the Brazos Valley that provide health and wellness resources for the community. Blinn ADN nursing students have offered their services at the fair for approximately 10 years.
“The Community Health Fair makes it easy for families in the Brazos Valley to see what resources are available in their community,” said Karla Flanagan, Housing Choice Voucher Program Manager for BVCOG. “Many people who we service are not properly prepared or equipped to handle emergencies that may unexpectedly arise, so we try to make all resources available at one location.”
Other participating partners at the fair included: CHI St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital, City of Bryan, City of College Station, Brazos County Health Department, Area Agency on Aging, Workforce Solutions of the Brazos Valley, Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR) Authority of Brazos Valley, Scotty’s House, Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living (BVCIL), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Brazos Valley, Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), Texas A&M University C-STEP, and United Healthcare.
Each semester, Blinn’s ADN Program provides services at several health and wellness events in the community. In addition to the BVCOG Community Health Fair, students have visited the First Baptist Church Food Pantry in College Station and Twin City Mission in Bryan.
“Although students undergo clinicals in a hospital setting as part of the ADN program, participating in health fairs gives them experience working with patients outside of a medical facility,” said Karla Ross, ADN Professor. “Some of the patients we see out in the community do not know about certain health issues until they are screened by our students.”
The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program at Blinn College is a two-year course of study preparing students to serve as nurses in the local community and beyond. Students who complete Blinn’s ADN Program and pass the NCLEX-RN have a job placement rate between 97 and 100 percent and are qualified for a wide array of nursing positions, including pediatric, geriatric, hospice, school, and clinical nursing. New graduates can expect to earn over $52,000 per year.
Prospective students can participate in information s
