CU Nursing - Commencement December 2021 - 5

GR ADUAT I ON
5
HANDS-ON MEDICAL AND
ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES
Working closely with Boyd-Trull, Harpin, and Nachtman,
the students began shaping what a street medicine student
interest organization could be, drawing guidance
from the Street Medicine Institute. They worked closely
with the CU School of Medicine and College of Nursing
administration, talked with their fellow students about
the education they were receiving on working with people
experiencing homelessness, gauged interest, and
presented to community organizations, including the
Commerce City Police Department (CCPD).
" When they presented their proposal to the police
department, PD was excited to make the connection.
They understood that providing street medicine was an
important step in establishing our community partnership, "
Nachtman says.
As a student organization, CU Street Medicine serves as
a nexus of information and resources. Students interested
in medical outreach are connected with Yahweh
Health Clinic and those interested in non-clinical
We wanted a way to help students have
opportunities to work with people experiencing
homelessness and gain experience giving the care
that people actually need, and not just what we think
they need. " - Rebecca Henkind
services are referred to Nachtman for hands-on volunteer and advocacy
opportunities.
Students who volunteer with Yahweh Health Clinic or the City of
Commerce City learn about giving trauma-informed care, " based on
the idea that everyone we work with has experienced some sort of
trauma, and that may cause them to respond to things in certain ways
that may not be your way of responding to things, and that's OK, "
Nachtman explains.
" One of the reasons our partnership with Sarah is so important is because
students are able to go out with her one-on-one and it's almost like
private tutoring, " Connelly says. " Should someone react to something
Continued on next page
GET TO KNOW
Kiera Connelly
W
hether it's taking a class, helping
the disadvantaged or planning
her future, Kiera Connelly likes to
dive in deep. Before she started
school at the University of Colorado College
of Nursing, she worked with the Colorado
Coalition for
the Homeless on the COVID
Response Medical team. Once she started
classes at the university, she co-founded the
interest group CU Street Medicine so that other
students could experience helping people
without medical care and housing.
She also jumped feet first into the University
of Colorado College of Nursing's Accelerated
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (UCAN) program
to earn her degree. While others study for years,
Connelly tackled her bachelor's in one year.
When Connelly graduates this December,
she plans to plunge right back into her passion
for caring for vulnerable and marginalized
populations. She hopes to work for Denver Health
hospital which focuses on improving healthcare
equity and access for people historically excluded.
As a licensed nurse, she'll also volunteer with the
Yahweh Health Clinic to provide medical services
for the indigent. It's what she wants to do for the
rest of her life.
" It's amazing to have exposure to people with
so many backgrounds. There are people from
the LGBTQ community who've experienced
discrimination and hardships because of their
sexual orientation. We see immigrants and
refugees who face discrimination from their home
countries and because of their documentation
status. We see folks from rural backgrounds who
came to the city to find work and found hardships
in making the transition. We see a lot of domestic
violence survivors and previously incarcerated
people. It's truly the most vulnerable populations
in our community, " said Connelly.
Connelly's grateful because she grew up
in a stable home with plenty of food and safe
place to live.
" I want to use my privilege to make an impact
and help improve the system to work towards
preventing homelessness in the first place
and making healthcare more accessible and
realistic for people's current living situations.
Instead of just treating someone for a condition
like a doctor might, as a nurse, we can provide
education for people and give them the tools
to help care for themselves down the road. "
CU Nursing - Commencement December 2021

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