Week's End

Well, it is Friday - and we have now been here for 9 days. While we are having an amazing learning experience, we are also having a wonderful time. I have to say, I am so pleased to get to know the 7 nursing students who have given up their time to do this extraordinary work - Phoebe, Alexis, Stephanie, Annie, Sophia, Gina, and Danielle. They are energetic, creative, and articulate. They share fascinating stories about their past life experiences that have brought them to this point in their life. Everything they have done in their past has helped them prepare for their own individual learning experiences at Pearlington.

These young women will be our future nursing leaders and we should all be very confident that they will carry on the PENN tradition and be successful in whatever they choose to do in their future. It has truly been an honor for me to work with them. I think the experience that they have had here in Pearlington will be with them forever and will impact their future practice in nursing.

On another note, Julie has been fabulous to work with. She has challenged the students and have helped them grow both personally and professionally as they deal with families in Pearlington who continue to work through their own tragic situations. Not only has she helped the students, but she has helped me as well, learning about health policy and keeping me updated on the election/politics. I thank Julie for her commitment to this project and know that with her enthusiasm, our work here will become something that will mark PENN nursing as instrumental in the recovery effort in Pearlington, MS and Hancock county.

Tomorrow is the Health Fair. I am excited to be ending the trip on a happy note. (We think it will be a happy note.) We have invited so many people to attend and are looking forward to "revisiting" or hosting our new friends in Pearlington. While we heard some very fascinating stories of survival and recovery, we are looking forward to providing the residents with some objective interventions that may improve their lives. This is the first health fair that has come to the people of Pearlington - rather than them having to travel to a health fair that is 30 miles away with no transportation to get there. The students are asking "I wonder if Mr. X will come - he said he would." and are eager to see the people they have met. Knowing they will be at the Health Fair provides the opportunity of some type of "closure" to know that we helped the residents with some type of intervention (BP, glucose, cholesterol, etc.).

OK...my new buddy from Lake Forest wants to use the computer for the last 12 minutes of time.......that is great.....new friends - they are all amazing.

God bless,

Norma