N479 Professional Activity Evaluation Form
Name: Emily Healy Activity Date: 01/26/17 and 03/09/17 Faculty: M. OConnell
Describe the community service/professional activity/s you attended or participated with (be
specific about the purpose and your role):
I was fortunate to have experienced two professional activities outside of the nursing
curriculum. In January, I worked in the SILC lab stitching sponges for second semester students to
practice removal skills. I was tasked with teaching myself how to suture and do so effectively. The
second activity I participated in took place at the Pascua Yaqui Senior Citizens Center. Here, I
worked with a dietician to implement a food demonstration. I assisted the dietician and kitchen staff
in preparing two different kinds of split pea soup for the attending seniors to taste and discuss. The
lesson presented during this teaching concerned the significance of balancing various food groups
and incorporating healthy food sources within each group. The purpose of this intervention was to
promote alternative dietary options relevant to and appropriate for the Native American culture. A
nutrition-based intervention was one of chief concern noting that preventative diseases including
diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are prevalent.
Where was this held and what was the program/activity length?
The experience of suturing sponges was held in the SILC lab. I spent slightly over six hours
putting stitches into all provided sponges. This opportunity was an individual experience. I found an
empty, quiet room to start and finish the assigned project.
My experience working with a dietician performing a food demonstration was held on the
Pascua Yaqui reservation at a Senior Citizen Center, right near the Casino Del Sol. Although the
senior food demonstration lasted forty five minutes, I worked with the dietician on the reservation for
four hours, from 0800-1200. I assisted the dietician in preparing soup samples, accumulating sample
surveys, answering nutrition-related questions, and cleaning up the center.
Discuss the value of this experience to you (be specific).
Given my passion for art, suturing sponges was a task I picked up quickly and feel I
performed well at. Despite feeling competent enough for medical school, suturing sponges was of
value in that it gave me peace of mind. Performing an act for second semester students made me
reflect on my experience in second semester; I can imagine myself waiting in line to remove my first
suture out of a sponge, overwhelmed with excitement. I wanted to make each stitch a quality stitch
made with love. Though selfish, this experience helped me realize how far I have come and how
quickly I have developed into a young, confident professional.
Implementing a nutrition-based intervention on an Indian Reservation brought great insight
to the role food has on culture. Prior to this experience, I was not aware how important certain foods
are to a given people; nor did I know that many of these foods are the reason behind the prevalence
of specific diseases. As a whole, this opportunity shed light on an alternative perspective of tradition
taking priority over health. Communicating with this community and being challenged with the task
of modifying cultural recipes (an intervention for a population with decades of consistent practices)
was vital in my role as a new nurse.
Would you recommend this specific community/professional experience in the future?
Though I enjoyed it, I would not recommend suturing sponges for a professional experience
in the future. I feel that immense growth happens when one goes outside his/herself and is exposed to
a new world or people in which he/she has not or does not typically encounter. I would, however,
highly recommend working at the Senior Citizen Center on the Pascua Yaqui nation. Nutrition plays
a vital component of overall health and well-being, extra nutrition-based education never hurts a
health professional. Additionally, there is a large population of Native Americans in Arizona. To best
serve this population, and individuals within, it is important to understand the way in which they live
and the health practices in which they live (culturally). Doing so will likely bring insight and
appreciation to the young professional learning.
Brochure or proof of attendance obtained? Yes. Signature on validation of clinical hours? Yes.
