School bells all over metro Atlanta are ringing as children in 26 public school districts and countless private schools head back to the classroom. But before they can begin reading, writing and arithmetic these children must have basic health screenings. If a child is homeless, getting to a doctor or health clinic can be a difficult, time consuming process for guardians or parents.
Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions nursing alumni, faculty and students ease the parents' burden by offering physicals at the annual Children's Restoration Network back-to-school fair. On August 4, undergraduate and graduate nursing students, alumni and faculty gave back-to-school physicals to more than 150 children at My Sister's House, a shelter for women and children near Centennial Park.
Undergraduate students checked the children's height and weight and hemoglobin, giving each child a colorful bandage to ease the "ouch." Graduate nursing students examined children's ears, nose, throat, took blood pressure readings and performed general wellness assessments.
"Providing physicals for children through CRN is a great way for us to serve the community," says Myra Carmon, team leader and associate professor. "It also gives our students real world clinical experience. This is especially important for our nurse practitioner students who will be practicing in a wide variety of communities."
Faculty and students in the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions have offered the back-to-school physicals since 1994.