Nursing students gain hands-on experience assisting with Hereford hepatitis outbreak

by Isa Torres, staff writer

 

After a Hepatitis outbreak was detected in Hereford, South Plains College nursing students went to render and administer shots while also practicing skills.  

Sue Ann Lopez, chair of allied health and nursing departments, recently was contacted by the medical director of the Point of Dispensing (POD) DeEtte Edens, student health coordinator at SPC, and asked to help the community at Hereford.  

An employee at the Sonic Drive-in in Hereford was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, a virus that can be easily treated if it is caught right away. But it also can be dangerous if it’s not diagnosed quickly.

A total of 52 SPC students and four faculty members were present to give shots to people who had eaten at Sonic while the employee was working there. 
Vocational nursing students from Reese Center and students enrolled in the Associate Degree Nursing Program at the Levelland campus went to Hereford on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18 to administer shots to prevent the outbreak of Hepatitis A.

 “We saw people all the way from a 2-month-old kid to people in their 70s or 80s,” said Lopez.

 The SPC group helped administer shots from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

This is not the first time SPC students and faculty did something like this. They also participated in medical clinics to support the victims of Hurricane Rita a few months ago. 

“There were some nervous students,” said Lopez. “They are naturally nervous.”  Lopez added that assisting with medical clinics helps students to gain confidence and experience. Extra precautions were not needed in Hereford. They just had to wear gloves.      

 Students sometimes don’t get a lot of opportunities to practice what they have learned. But getting exposure to different places and situations outside of the classroom is one of the best ways to practice, especially when they are around people they don’t know.   Hepatitis is a liver infection and can be transmitted through contact of infected food. Fever, feeling tired and stomach pains are some of the symptoms.