Running head: COMPLETED SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

Your name:
Jessica Listman-Ward

Date:
November 28, 2014

Discussion of completed service learning project:

I just want to start by saying I was a little resistant to the idea of community service. Initially it seemed
like one more thing we had to do on top of the 135 hours we needed to complete for NURS 495.
However, I quickly changed my mind. I was happy to be able to give back to my community with an event
that I have wanted to participate in for a few years. On September 18, 2014 I attended a 1 hour
training/orientation for the Chester River Crab Chase 5K Run/Walk. The event took place on September
27, 2014 and gave me the additional 7 hours that I needed for the community service event. This yearly
event raises money for the Alzheimers/Memory Unit at Chester River Hospital. I chose to volunteer for
this event not only because it was close to home, but also because my great grandmother suffers from
this debilitating disease. Alzheimers disease affects 5.1 million Americans (Alzheimers Association,
2014). In the state of Maryland 97,000 people over the age of 65 have been diagnosed with this disease
(Alzheimers Foundation, 2014). My great grandmother is one of the 97,000 Marylanders. While I worked
this event I not only provided first aid to the participants, but I also was able to educate the attendees of
Alzheimers disease.
The Alzheimers Foundation has found that there may be a link between cardiovascular conditions like
heart disease and hypertension and Alzheimers disease (Alzheimers Foundation, 2014). In 2011 a study
was published in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology which illustrated those
patients with chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia who were being
treated and those untreated were at greater risk for developing Alzheimers disease compared to those
with no chronic conditions (Li, J., Wang, Y., Zhang, M., Xu, Z., Gao, C., Fang, C., et al., 2011, 1490).
During this event I educate those who attended by providing them with a flyer. I created a flyer that
provided some basic information on how to prevent some of the conditions that research shows may be
linked to Alzheimers disease. I educated the staff at the Queen Annes County Department of Health and
provided them with flyers that they can use to educate the public. I also left flyers with Sandra Taylor who
is the event coordinator for the run/walk. These flyers will be used for the orientation and education for
future events. I talked to participants at the event to see what they already knew about the disease and
used that as a starting point to educate them on the disease. I also talked to them about ways to prevent
hypertension and cardiovascular disease. We discussed the importance of following a low sodium diet
and exercise three times a week. The event was a success. We didnt have to triage many people, but we
had lots of people pass by the table and we were able to interact with them and educate them.

Evaluation of the selected intervention:

COMPLETED SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

I have created flyers which include the basic information about Alzheimers disease and how we might be
able to prevent it. It includes how to prevent hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The flyer is also
set up to include educational points for those who currently have those chronic conditions. Having those
conditions does not mean that the person will automatically get Alzheimers disease. It simply puts them
at greater risk. However, if we can educate them on the importance of following a low sodium diet and
maintaining an exercise regimen we can help them reduce their risk as well. These flyers have been
distributed to the health department as part of my education to the nurses and staff that work in the clinic
and outreach programs. They have also been distributed to the local family practice doctors in town.
These are the same flyers that I had at the event and distributed to those who came past the triage
table/tent. Throughout the event I was able to educate over 50 people. This might not seem like a lot,
but it is a good start. If just one of those people takes the information and discusses it with a friend or
family member, we might be able to educate the community. I received good feedback from those who
stopped by the table. They seemed to appreciate the information and the chance to ask questions.
Overall, I think that the flyer was a success. It was a great start to promoting awareness of the disease and
how we can possibly prevent this disease.
After reflecting on the event, I think that I need to educate the volunteers so that we can reach more
participants. I also think that other flyers can be created to discuss some of the early signs of Alzheimers
disease. To date there is no cure for the disease but there are medications that may help slow the onset
and progression of the disease. If we can teach and educate the public at events like the 5K run/walk
about the early signs then we might be able to prevent the progression of the disease. This will allow
families to have more time to deal with the diagnosis and the effects of the disease before the patient
becomes too debilitated.

Discuss how this project contributed to professional collaboration & community engagement:
This project allowed me to work with other health professionals in my local community. I was able to
make some professional contacts that may be useful for future job opportunities or community outreach
events. It was a great opportunity for me to interact and work with fellow nurses in the community. We
provided triage to those that attended the event. We were able to interact with them and answer
questions that they had about Alzheimers disease. It was great to work as a professional outside of the
hospital that I work at. I was able to collaborate with other medical professionals to provide care and
education to the public in a relaxed manner.
I really enjoyed being able to give back to the community in which I live. The money from the event goes
to the Alzheimers/Memory Unit at the hospital. It is always good when an event can be used to raise
funds for the community and to educate them on the 6th leading cause of death (Alzheimers Association,
2014). I was able to put my nursing education to good use with the people I live with and interact with on
a daily basis. I hope to be able to work this event in the future and continue to see it grow into a public
awareness event.

Reference:

COMPLETED SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

Alzheimers Association. (2014). Latest Facts & Figures Report. Retrieved September
24, 2014, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers-_disease_facts
Alzheimers Foundation of America. (2014, June 5). Alzheimers Foundation of
America. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://www.alzfdn.org/About
Alzheimers/statistics.
Li, J., Wang, Y., Zhang, M., Xu, Z., Gao, C., Fang, C., Yan, J., Zhou, H., (2011).
Vascular risk factors promote conversion from mild congnitive impairment
to Alzheimer disease. The Official Journal of the American Academy of
Neurology, 76(17), 1485-1491. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from
http://www.neurology.org/content/76/17/1485