Individually, each of us holds certain talents; together, we a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are a part of improving lives, providing treatment and, above all, transforming health care. Check back here for stories about the talented students, alumni and employees of the Michigan State University College of Nursing and how, together, we will make a difference.
Alex and Lauren: A part of improving pediatric care
Nurse Practitioner students find need for oral care in clinic serving low-income patients
Cavities can lead to more than just sore teeth in children. Developmental issues, lack of sleep and other issues can arise without proper dental care.
But not everyone — especially those from low-income families — has access to a dentist, which is why two students in the Nurse Practitioner Program at the Michigan State University College of Nursing wanted to be a part of improving the health of area youth.
As part of the final project in their doctoral program, Alexandria Rocha and Lauren Esper researched and trained health care providers at Lansing-based Care Free Medical on how to apply fluoride varnish to young children. The fluoride application pilot program launched last October and wrapped up in January.
“What our project is doing is it's helping those children under five who don't have access to the care that they need and deserve to get the fluoride varnish. And it protects their teeth from developing caries or cavities,” said Rocha. “What this does is it ensures that they have a healthier life.”
The simple, two-minute process can ensure pediatric patients have healthier teeth and bodies and it has already been well received by patients. The initial goal was to apply the varnish to 50 percent of pediatric patients, which Esper and Rocha’s project exceeded, hitting 61 percent. The program has been so successful that the clinic is continuing to offer the treatment, even though the pilot is over.
Dr. Farhan Bhatti, the clinic’s chief executive officer and a faculty member in the MSU College of Human Medicine, said he has been pleased with the results and partnership with the College of Nursing.
“It was a really good opportunity for us to provide better care to our patients and to also give the students the opportunity to do their quality improvement project,” he said. “We don't have any intention of stopping this.”
The project was a natural extension of their graduate program, Esper and Rocha said.
“This program taught me how to care for the whole person and not just one aspect of their health,” said Esper, who also earned her undergraduate degree at MSU. “It's not just about their body, it's about their mind, it's about their spirit, and being a Spartan nurse really helped me cultivate that into my practice.”
Rocha noted her program has prepared her well for her chosen career.
“I always had a faculty that was reaching out to me just checking in,” Rocha said. “They always were advocating for us and pushing for us to reach that next step and reach our next goal.”
The students’ advisor, Dr. Kara Schrader, who is also director of the college’s Adult Gerontology and Family Nurse Practitioner Program, said she has been impressed with how the project has worked out and could see it being implemented in other primary care clinics.
“The leadership of these students, in collaboration with community leaders, demonstrates the impact of the DNP-prepared nurse practitioner in improving access to care for our most vulnerable population,” Schrader said. “This is just one of the many successful projects led by our advance practice DNP students.”
Meanwhile, Bhatti said he hoped experiences like this will help other nursing and health professions students see the value in providing care to the underserved.
“We have learners here that are working with us, and that's a really big part of service to the community because what the literature suggests is the single biggest predictor for whether or not the clinician will end up serving the underserved is if they have that exposure at some point during their training,” he noted. “So, it's really great that we can expose those up -and -coming clinicians to what it means to serve the underserved so that hopefully, when they go out in their careers, they'll also be motivated and driven to give it back.”
That won’t be a tough sell for Rocha, who has previously gone on mission trips to Belize.
“I saw the need and I wanted to just be there to be a resource and to be able to go back every few months to go and help,” she said. “I want to be able to help others when they're in their most vulnerable states.”
Emily and Conor: A part of providing equitable care
Nurse Anesthesiology students take their skills to communities who need them most
Often in the United States, we take for granted access to care for routine procedures. For six students in the Nurse Anesthesiology program, they were a part of bringing equitable health to Honduras.
“We were able to bring care that isn’t normally capable for those in need.” said Emily Ash “Providing low-cost care to those who need it most, we were able to assist with 35 procedures.”
During their mission trip they were able to assist with: cholecystectomies, hernias, cyst removals, hydrocele, orthodontics and a pediatric case, through Hospital Socorro de lo Alto which is supported by American teams serving on short-term mission trips to provide specialty care.
“Without groups like ours the hospital would not be able to provide care to these communities.” said Ash.
The Hospital Socorro de lo Alto has 26 beds, 4 operating rooms, an emergency room, and pharmacy. The hospital advertises to the community and evaluates cases to see if the patients will be a fit for surgery.
“This experience was eye opening; it makes you appreciate what you have.” said Ash “The gratefulness of the patients rekindled my passion for providing care.”
The clinics screen patients on Thursday, then from Sunday to Wednesday they operate with three general surgeons, and each student is assigned to a case. The following Thursday the last patients are sent home.
“This experience reminded me how important it is to use the skills I have to give back to my community.” said Ash.
A passion for service follows nurse anesthesiology students beyond graduation. Alumnus Conor Early, MSN ’20, completed a mission trip to Liberia. Early collaborated with Western Michigan University’s medical school (WMed) to develop partnerships with Liberian hospital systems.
“The hope is that surgical residents from WMed can travel to Liberia and experience surgery in a setting that would not be possible in the United States,” said Early. “Liberian medical students and surgical residents would also have the opportunity to come to the U.S. to experience surgery and medicine rotations.”
Early also participated in this self-funded trip to assess the current state of anesthesia at Liberian hospitals.
During the group’s travels, Early engaged with several hospital systems caring for young children. He worked closely with local healthcare teams to set up treatment plans for success. One such occurrence involved assisting a local anesthesiologist with sedating a child to place a nasal feeding tube.
“I feel that because I was there that day to assist with the sedation, this child got the care he needed which may lead to a better long-term prognosis for him,” said Early. “He might not remember me or know what I did that day, but I will never forget him and the small impact I may have had on his life that day.”
Overseas mission work is something that many students in the program have taken on during the last few years.
“We are proud of our nurse anesthesiology students who are using their anesthesia skills to provide equitable global care," said Dr. Angella Ruley, assistant director of the CRNA program.
Alexis: A part of challenging stigmas
Clinical Nurse Specialist travels, takes care to where it is needed
Alexis Skuras, DNP ’23, began her Thursday by packing a recreational vehicle for a trip to Lansing, MI., except she is not packing camping or outdoor equipment in this RV. Instead, she is prepping the vehicle to deliver care to patients battling addiction.
Skuras serves local communities in Michigan with Recovery Mobile Clinic (RMC), a 501c3 non-profit organization that delivers medical services to underserved communities. While RMC specializes in addiction-related care, the group also offers physicals, screenings, and vaccination treatments to populations in the communities they serve.
A part of impacting healthcare
Skuras entered the community health field after spending time in a neuroscience unit in Detroit. She valued the experience at the hospital as it displayed the health disparities significant groups of people endured.
“I wanted to have more of a role in care rather than fixing problems after they already occurred,” said Skuras.
Skuras decided to pursue her clinical nurse specialist degree at the DNP level to be a part of caring for people before they are forced to enter higher care. MSU was the clear choice to pursue this path as she had received her BSN from the College of Nursing in 2018. Her DNP quality improvement project focused on community health surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. Partnering with MSU Extension, Skuras ran a multi-media campaign to increase vaccine awareness and acceptance in rural Michigan.
Dr. Jackie Iseler, the CON Clinical Nurse Specialist program director, is proud of the work her former advisee is doing in the community, stating that Skuras’s research on healthcare outcomes shows “unwavering dedication” to her professional growth.
“Alexis’s involvement with the RMC underscores her commitment to accessible care,” said Iseler, “promising significant future contributions to healthcare innovation and delivery.”
Skuras recognizes that very few clinical nurse specialists choose to pursue community health. Most CNSs work outside of direct patient care as they improve health practices and patient outcomes. Skuras finds great joy being able to complete CNS quality improvement projects and patient care tasks with RMC.
“I’m always doing different things,” said Skuras. “The majority of the time, I’m seeing patients and working in direct patient care, so how you would imagine a nurse practitioner [to function]. Then I can also work on policies, guidelines, and education.”
One such quality improvement plan Skuras completed was a would care guideline. Skuras collaborated with RMC’s community partners to outline severity and types of wounds. She outlined how care facilities could treat patients and when the facilities should refer to higher care facilities like hospitals and RMC.
“We were able to share that [guideline] with all of our community partners,” said Skuras. “That way they know what to do.”
A part of challenging stigmas
RMC began as a venting session over a game of cards. Jordana Latozas and her partner were reflecting on the opiate addiction crisis and the stereotypes impacting addiction care in the medical community.
“I was venting about my frustrations and how I wanted to open up a rehab to get accessible care,” said Latozas. “My husband jokingly says, ‘Well, we should put it in an RV.’ And I said, ‘Why don’t we? Why not?’”
Unfortunately, they had this conversation in February 2020, just one month before COVID-19 quarantines began. Nonetheless, Latozas and her team began organizing the Recovery Mobile Clinic to aid patients fighting addiction.
To generate connections with communities during the pandemic, Latozas adjusted RMC’s addiction-focused model to serve other community issues. Therefore, RMC began providing COVID-19 testing and vaccination. This was especially crucial when homeless shelters and addiction centers where patients normally received treatments closed.
“Everyone needed [COVID testing],” said Latozas. “So the community started seeing us as, not a problem, but a solution.”
A part of community change
RMC maintains connections with several community partners across Michigan. RMC and their partners set up agreements on when the RVs will be allowed on the premises by specific times and days of the week.
“It’s a hybrid between a true community model, where they pop up, close down, and never come back versus a primary care model where you can find your same dock as the same location every day,” said Latozas.
The consistent schedule of the mobile clinic builds trust with their patients and awareness from other community members. This built-up trust is essential to a patient’s full recovery.
“Because we’re such a trusted source, people often come back to us and have us do things for them that they otherwise are having difficulty doing,” said Skuras.
RMC’s success is directly impacted by the efforts of community centers. Ensuring people have access to housing, food, medical attention, and therapy is essential to their recovery journey. Organizations like RMC fill in the medical attention gap that occurs in shelters or transition homes that have limited treatment expertise.
“They're just the kindest people ever. It reminds you that people are good. They just go through hard times, and if we're able to get them through the hard times, then we see who they really are,” said Skuras.
