The Homeless Coalition’s annual Project Homeless Connect in Lincoln taught UNMC nursing student Alisha Dunlap things she could never get in the classroom.
“I was surprised at the number of adults who had children with them,” Dunlap said. “This event helped me view life from the perspective of the people I served. I could not imagine having everything taken from me, having no place to live.”
She was part of a group of 24 senior nursing students and faculty in the College of Nursing Lincoln Division and faculty and students from the College of Dentistry in Lincoln who participated in the Sept. 29 event at Pinnacle Arena.
Project Homeless Connect Lincoln is a one-day event during which homeless adults and children receive a variety of services and support for unmet needs, including medical and behavioral health services, substance abuse, and legal and housing help. Services were provided to about 350 people, said Lee Heflebower of the Homeless Coalition.
Sharon Baker, instructor and public/community health advanced practice nurse with the UNMC College of Nursing Lincoln Division, said the experience helps students understand the health barriers of being homeless.
“The students need to know what the other side of the world looks like outside the hospital bed. Sometimes clients are not able to be compliant when they go home due to barriers in their environment,” Baker said. “If we are thinking ‘upstream,’ we can identify and help the client to remove those barriers in the home, and prevent re-hospitalization and poor health outcomes.”
The UNMC College of Dentistry provided oral health screenings for 60 patients and referred them to several local resources, including the SHARING Clinic in Lincoln.
“We enjoy taking part in this event,” said David Brown, Ph.D., executive associate dean of the college. “It gives us a chance to see a wide variety of dental problems that we might not ordinarily see at the college. Having the opportunity to help to relieve pain and improve appearance and function is very rewarding.”
Dunlap said it was rewarding to be part of the project.
“I was able to learn about all of the services Lincoln has to offer this population,” Dunlap said. “I want to be informed to further educate my clients so I can help. It was rewarding to be a part of this project and I look forward to seeing how it grows in the future.”