Since the Adolescent Health Station was established, nursing school faculty and students have grown increasingly involved in its efforts. A student pursuing a master of nursing degree recently worked with Daniels and Leonard to organize a personal hygiene workshop for residents of one of the nearby public housing projects. Nursing and public health faculty are planning research projects centered at the high school, and the health station will soon serve as a clinical teaching site for undergraduates. Recently, one team of Nursing 499 students collaborated with Daniels and Leonard to help pregnant students improve their own health and their babies' birthweights by developing personal nutrition plans tailored to the students' individual preferences and resources. Another group taught a series of lessons to a Washington High class on how to gain access to health care.
Adolescents are traditionally an underserved population.
Both the Adolescent Health Station and Nursing 499 exist in concert with the mission of the nursing school, says Affonso . Part of our mission is to design innovative health care programs and to take Emory nursing out into the community. That's what our students are doing, and it's what the health station is. But we must work in partnership with the community, and it's up to us to prove we're a worthy partner. Daniels echoes this idea, adding that such partnerships require long-term institutional relationships.