Shaping The Next Generation Of Nurses

University of Maryland School of Nursing Students Improving Health Equity Through Free Health Resources to Prince George's County Community

A newly created partnership between the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) and the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) will provide much-needed health resources to the community, while providing a critical clinical experience for nursing students.

The initiative — Talk Health with the University of Maryland School of Nursing — places entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students from UMSON at the Universities at Shady Grove in the Greenbelt Branch Library on Mondays this fall.

“The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System is able to provide access to health information and resources to the public with key services such as blood pressure screenings, medication education, and primary care referrals,” said PGCMLS Central Area Director Quemar Rhoden, who worked closely with UMSON to help launch the partnership. By partnering with UMSON for the Talk Health series, PGCMLS continues a long tradition of offering health resources to Prince George’s County residents, Rhoden said.

“PGCMLS is committed to supporting the well-being of our community. Some examples from the past few years include our COVID-19 Vaccine Hunter Hotline, ‘Get Active: Ride & Read’ stationary bikes in library branches, and our ‘Caseworker in the Library’ series with Maryland Department of Human Services,” he added.

For nursing student Bukola Oladipuo, working directly with the community is extremely fulfilling, especially when it comes to educating them about the importance of managing their health.

“A lot of people — after checking them, we realize that they didn’t take their blood pressure medication that morning,” Oladipuo said. “Letting them know how important it is to be compliant with the medication regimen — it’s something rewarding for me.”

Each week, under the supervision of clinical faculty, the students will conduct free health screenings, referrals, health education and classes on a variety of topics, including stress reduction, healthy eating and nutrition, managing chronic illness, and low-impact exercises.

For more information about the partnership, and to see the full schedule, visit:  https://tinyurl.com/d9c3zvmb.