For my community partnership assignment, I was able to have the opportunity to do two shifts at the SPUR clinic which serves the immigrant and asylum seeking population in Maine and also have my last shift be at PRCC, a recovery center I did my community project on with my peers. Two different populations, with similar needs when it comes to support. Patients at the SPUR clinic are seen to have a simple, general checkup that is documented for their future PCP’s to use. My job at the site was to take in the patients from the waiting room and do their vital signs in the examination room. I was a bit nervous in using the interpreter because it took me a while to get used to the flow of it. I wanted to make sure that I explained to the patient correctly, that we are not their doctor, we are simply there to do a checkup and help them cross the bridge between us and an actual PCP. It was especially more awkward when there were other family members in the room, usually a spouse or a child. However, the people at the SPUR clinic were wonderful resources and many of them spoke a myriad of different languages, it was truly amazing to see. I also learned a lot in the sense of honing in on my head to toe skills and using the patient’s answers to guide the conversation into a more focused assessment. This line of reasoning helped click for me what a heart murmur actually sounded like. At first the patient was complaining about their pain in their knees when they run and then it evolved into talking about shortness of breath when going up the stairs and then pain in their chest. It was interesting to see. I also got to administer shots and learn that process as well. It let me practice therapeutic skills that helped calm my patients down because a lot of them were afraid of getting a shot. Overall, it was a wonderful experience at the SPUR clinic. My last partnership day was spent at PRCC, a recovery center for those dealing with substance abuse. It was truly a holistic place to approach those who are in recovery. As soon as I walked through the doors everyone was welcoming and provided a calm and safe demeanor. Everyone definitely cared about what they do and it showed. They had lots of posters and resources people could browse and I even helped someone find different sites and phone numbers to get a job. There are also many spaces that can provide privacy for meetings or mindfulness. I had the pleasure of joining in on the yoga session they had that day and you can tell how much people benefit from having the space to gather and do an activity. The community itself, both workers and those who came in, help you realize quickly that they are just people too and shouldn’t be judged because of their history. I had an amazing time, and I would’ve loved to volunteer more. I highly recommend! Each partnership was unique and gave me an insight into populations I very well may see in practice. It felt good to give back and be able to take my time to get to know people I normally wouldn’t meet. The people who are also running the programs are truly heroes for the sole reason that they go to work everyday to take care of populations others might not deem as important and do it with an open heart and mind. I thank them for educating me in what it is to be a nurse in the community.
