Curley’s group partnered with the Gainesville VA Medical Center and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center to compile a pamphlet listing local programs and services, including pet care, for veterans. They shared these resources with veterans, caregivers, and VA staff at an outreach event, where many veterans opened up about their lives and struggles.

“It was amazing. We’d start telling them about programs and then they would tell us their stories,” Curley said. “Having a conversation like that, they may give you information you can use to help them.”

Each Accelerated BSN student completes a community project in their population health course, focusing on health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention. The 15-month ABSN program is designed for those with a prior bachelor’s degree in another field who wish to pursue nursing.

During the summer, groups of ABSN students at the Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses designed and implemented community projects. They ranged from creating a video on the proper methods of biohazard waste disposal to developing coping kits for families with critically ill children.

“I was amazed to see their creativity in developing their projects and how much work they put into them,” said Rethea Felder, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Clinical Assistant Professor, one of the instructors in Gainesville.

Community outreach and finding where and how best to help are at the heart of the class.

“The students collaborated with agencies taking care of populations across the lifespan, and created projects that were informative, useful and impacting,” said Clinical Assistant Professor Suzanne Weed, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, who led the Jacksonville class.

Brenda Dyal, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, Clinical Associate Professor, another of the course instructors, felt the projects help students learn how to develop those bonds.

“It was very interesting to see the students become engaged with the community and realize the impact they made,” Dyal said.

Joslyn Massie’s project aimed to inform UF Health Shands case managers about Al’z Place, an adult daycare for individuals with Alzheimer’s or severe memory impairment. The project included an infographic covering services, eligibility, and FAQs, along with a detailed resource guide on applying for services. These materials will be shared with case management teams for distribution to patients and families.

But ultimately, the project became deeper for Massie.

“We were around elderly patients. We would talk with them and they would feel safe and start opening up. It was really special to know they trusted you and you could be there for them,” Massie said.

While the students recently graduated and are moving forward with their careers, the hope is they will continue working on the projects.

“As far as continuing with any of these projects, students were encouraged from the very beginning to continue with research they started with the goal to either present or publish their work,” Weed said.