100 The Carr College of Nursing worked with Mission Machine, an organization that assisted the homeless, in order to improve local health care in Searcy. Nursing majors were required to take a certain amount of clinical hours to graduate, and this was a way to achieve that while helping the community. “During the course, we go out into Searcy and surrounding communities — to the schools, health departments and community health facilities,” senior Ella Givens said. “We spend several days in class focusing on poverty and how we as health care providers can best serve the population.” The program was started by assistant professor of nursing Karen Kelley during summer 2020. Kelley wanted to create a new clinical program in which the students could help the homeless community. Kelley spoke about how this program better allowed for relationships between the students and patients. “Students can have more time that is slower paced than some of the clinical experiences in the hospitals,” Kelley said. “It’s a clinic where they can really sit and really get to know somebody and hear their stories.” Mission Machine had three parts to their program. First was the shelter where they housed people who came from the hospital or had medical needs. While they didn’t provide medical care during this stage, they did provide a NURSES The Carr College of Nursing partners with Mission Machine. ON A MISSION MISSION OF HOPE Seniors Ella Horton, Rachel Pettijohn and Madison Allen discuss Mission Machine’s goals. The group gathered at the community health care clinic. Photo by: Grace Hurt GREEN MACHINE Seniors Ella Horton, Rachel Pettijohn and Madison Allen pose in front of the Mission Machine van. The green van was a staple for the organization. Photo by: Grace Hurt place to stay while the patient recovered. Senior nursing major Jessica Watkins explained the second part, a campsite where younger homeless individuals typically lived for a short term. “They provide them with medical care as well,” Watkins said. “Every month, they have a free health clinic helping those who are in need, as health care is a human right.” The final part of the program was the outreach. “This would be for some of the people in town who are chronically homeless that need basic needs,” Kelley said. “Mainly people who can’t, or don’t want to, come on to the properties.” Watkins enjoyed being part of the nursing program and working with Mission Machine in the process. “I love getting to know my patients’ stories and allowing them to feel heard and seen,” Watkins said. “We not only care about our patients’ physical health, but also their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.” Watkins said all of these things affected a person as a whole, and that Mission Machine was a great opportunity to exercise the principles taught in the nursing curriculum. Written by: Jake Mooney
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