Community Health Nursing Pulling it All Together By: Jennifer Schiermeyer

Sandy Creek Jr./Sr. High school Student Population: 450 students K-12 Faculty Population: 125 administration, & teachers Location: 5 miles from Fairfield, 5 miles from Clay Center, 15 miles from Glenvil, 15 miles from Edgar, and 10 miles from Deweese. It is unified with Nelson, Ne also.

Key Findings From the Windshield Survey Worn houses that need updating. Run down and dangerous park equipment. No hang out for the teens or children. No pubic transportation in town (although in a town of only 500 it wouldn’t be cost effective). Unemployment in town is high due to no job openings, due to a small amount of businesses that hire there just aren’t many jobs in town. No active school in town (the school is 5 miles away). Problems with alcoholism, depression, and diabetes.

Problem Identified for Review The teenage population is the area I chose for further review, due to: Having no place to hang out. Increased incidence of alcohol use in town. Not many activities in town for the teenagers. Prescription drug use being an issue in the high school, and no one educating our teachers, students, or parents about it.

Teaching Target Group and Project Target Group for Project were the teachers that were in the focus groups on February 16th and the 17th. The Project was to teach them on prescription drug use in the school aged kids. Signs and symptoms to watch for, and also words to listen for that teenagers use for code names for the drugs.

I used a power point, a hand out of the power point with a notes section next to each slide, and I also purchased brochures on prescription drugs, and also illegal drugs for the teachers to have. The objectives were to: Be able to know the signs and symptoms of prescription drug use Know the names kids call the prescription drugs Know who, and when to contact someone if they think there is a problem And to know that there IS a problem and it IS in our school. HP2020 Goal: Reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children HP2020 Objective: SA-19 Reduce the past-year nonmedical use of prescription drugs. Healthy People 2020, 2014. Leading health indicators. Retrieved on February 2015 from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/Leading-Health-Indicators

Public Health Nursing Interventions Disease and Health Event Investigation: I gathered data regarding the treat of prescription drugs to teens, I was able to show statistics on the source of the threat (being prescription drugs)(Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. 2014). Outreach: Located the population at risk which is teenaged kids, and provided the information about prescription drugs, what can be done about it, and also how to get the services that are needed if there is a kid having a problem (Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. 2014). Health Teaching: I was able to communicate some facts, and ideas, to change the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of prescription drugs while teaching the focus groups (Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J.(2014). Collaboration: I was able to get several of the teacher on board to approach the administration to have a assembly for the kids to learn about the dangers of prescription drugs (Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. 2014). Advocacy: By doing this class I am able to advocate and get some of the teachers to advocate for the kids. Just by the teachers knowing there is a problem in the school and wanting to do something about it (Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. 2014). I am hopeful that due to having teachers now know this is a problem and wanting to do something about it that the administration will be pushed by more than just the parents to develop policies and enforce them when dealing with prescription drugs.

Summary of Experience This was a wonderful experience for me, as I love to teach!! I did notice that on the first day February 16th, that the teachers and administration did not get very involved, and didn’t seem to really care that I was even there. After a few of the percentages and facts were brought up I would get their attention for a short time. I even had a few of them doing things on their computers and messing with their smart phones. One the second day, I had a younger group of teachers and they were very attentive. They asked questions, and voiced concerns about the information that I gave them. They even asked, why, if this is such a problem, isn’t the school having speakers come to talk to them and the kids. I told them that my goal for the class was to make them aware that there is a problem, and that they need to make sure and bring it up at their meeting with administration. My challenge to them was to be the voice for our kids so that the administration can see that they as teachers are concerned and want the kids and themselves to be more educated on prescription drugs.

What the Target Group Learned Why prescription drugs are so dangerous. Different names the kids give the different prescription drugs. Signs and symptoms to watch for with the different prescription drugs. Why it is so important that we teach the kids, the facility, and the parents about prescription drug use. Some of the different shapes, sizes, and colors of prescription drugs. Some of the different ways kids are taking prescription drugs.

What I Learned from the Experience I originally wanted to present to the whole school, faculty, administration, and kids. I found out that the administration was not very forth coming in letting me do that. They did let me talk with the focus groups, which was around 10 teachers. One of the biggest challenges in getting the word out to our children is going to be the administration I am afraid. There are teachers that truly do care for our children and want to go above and beyond to help them and make sure that they are safe. The one place I would think our children should be safe is school, and unfortunately it is not. I want to be more active in talking to parents and giving them information so that they start talking to their kids about the dangers with prescription drugs. I LOVE TO TEACH!!

Information I Used For The Class Booklets from Foundation For a Drug Free World (Foundation for a Drug Free World, 2014). Handouts from the PowerPoint Video from YouTube on prescription drugs.

Video on Prescription Drugs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6r9ITMaVtw&list=PL3A9BD4D70C 774C4E (McChlery, I., 2011).

References Foundation for a Drug Free World (2014). The Truth About Prescription Drug Abuse. Retrieved on January 2015 from: http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts-booklets.html?noredir=1 Healthy People 2020, 2014. Leading health indicators. Retrieved on February 2015 from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/Leading-Health-Indicators Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2014). Foundations of Nursing in the Community: Community –Oriented Practice, (4th Ed). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. McChlery, I., (2011). Foundation fro a Drug – Free World, The truth about drugs documentary: prescription drugs. Retrieved on January 2015 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6r9ITMaVtw&list=PL3A9BD4D70C774C4E