Fifth-year UW School of Nursing students Laura Jeddeloh, Madeline Stein, and Robert Gleason take calls at the Public Health-Seattle King County call center.
The de Beaumont Foundation has joined the CDC Foundation in supporting a program that will enable nursing students at the University of Washington to join frontline efforts to combat COVID-19 with Public Health-Seattle & King County.
“The clinical student experience in a real-world setting is a critical part of every nurse’s education,” said Azita Emami, executive dean of the UW School of Nursing. “This innovative partnership not only allows our students to use their skills, which are in high demand during this global pandemic, it also enables them to respond to a very compelling, very urgent public need in our community.” The partnership provides three volunteering opportunities:
- First, since April 6, graduating senior nursing students have been volunteering at Public Health-Seattle & King County COVID-19 call centers.
- Second, doctoral students work in telehealth and telemedicine call centers in local healthcare organizations. Students work with faculty advisors to provide virtual health visits for patients who may not be able to visit a traditional clinic due to quarantine, mobility issues, or lack of transportation.
- The third clinical experience will place licensed graduate nursing students at area care centers designated for assessment and recovery for the community’s most vulnerable patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms but are not so ill that they require hospitalization.
“This is an extraordinary partnership for extraordinary times,” said Patty Hayes, director for Public Health-Seattle & King County. “We are deeply grateful to the School of Nursing and their students for rising to the occasion for our community’s COVID-19 needs, and so pleased to be able to contribute to their growth in this unique way.”
The financial support from the de Beaumont Foundation and CDC Foundation helped launch the opportunities, including the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE). Read more.
