Nursing students, faculty support free health clinics for community members
Nursing student Karly Walker checks the vital signs of a health screening attendee.
West Virginia University School of Nursing undergraduate students, led by clinical instructor Derrick Conner, are supporting the health and well-being of the Morgantown community by offering free local health screenings.
Offered at The Foundry Church on High Street in Morgantown before and after Sunday services*, church congregants and community members alike can receive free assessments for blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, temperature, wound care, height and weight, and EKG and heart rhythm.
As the service site leader for the Faith Community Nursing program at the Foundry, Conner said they decided hosting a Sunday clinic could help meet the needs of physical health in the setting where many are already experiencing changes within their spiritual health.
“I decided to help with the Faith Community Nursing program because I believe the church can and should play a greater role in the wellness of their communities,” said Conner, a baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse with eight years of experience. “Almost every town has a church and that church can represent an opportunity for positive change in their community.”
After several years in the hospital setting, Conner transitioned to academia when he became a clinical instructor with the WVU School of Nursing in 2020.
“I had always enjoyed helping orient new nurses and I wanted to try helping brand new nurses still at the collegiate level as they enter the hospital setting as some of their earliest times.”
In addition to his faculty role with WVU, Conner is also enrolled in the Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner program, where he is expected to graduate this spring.
*Please note: The clinic will not be offered March 12 or 19 due to WVU’s Spring Recess.
For more information about the clinic, please email derrick.conner@hsc.wvu.edu.
