Becoming a part of the community: implementing a public health vision in student health services.
Principles from public health and community health nursing provide an approach to student health services that enhances interdisciplinary collaboration and advocacy for access to care. Staff participation in the campus community requires administrative support, both in philosophy and in making outreach activities accessible to staff. Student health services at University of Maine's Cutler Health Center in Orono is implementing outreach and community involvement as ongoing aspects of the college health nursing role. Increased collaboration, visibility of nurses on campus, and improved community assessment and intervention are among the outcomes observed during the past 2 years. This article describes the principles that guide this approach and shares some community involvement experiences, including the response to a student suicide attempt, social support for students after a residence hall fire, and case management/consultation services.
Eastman
M A
MA
Student Health Services, Cutler Health Center, University of Maine, Orono.
D003153:Community Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008281:Maine; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends; D013333:Student Health Services / Q000639:trends*