School of Nursing Community Event Promotes Healthy Living

By Amy Ridolphi
VCU School of Nursing

With rates of obesity on the rise, educating families on the importance of good nutrition and exercise is increasingly important. The VCU School of Nursing and the School’s Community Nursing Organization (CNO) are reaching out to the community to educate parents and kids about good health and to provide the tools to live healthier lives.

Recently, the School of Nursing worked with the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club in Church Hill to host Family Fun Night. Nearly 100 parents and kids attended the hands-on session focusing on nutrition, healthy meal preparation, hand washing and exercise. The evening concluded with a warm, healthy meal for attendees and recipes that families could try at home.

“I’m just so excited about the collaboration between our organization and the VCU School of Nursing. The nursing students planned hands-on learning sessions and really connected with the kids,” said Hugh Jones, executive director of the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club.

The event was organized by VCU nursing students as part of their clinical work for the Community Health Nursing course. Nine nursing students helped organize the event with the guidance of nursing faculty.

"Our students led the planning for the Family Fun Night, developed the program and assisted with the design and implementation of many of the sessions. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about community health and effective health education and to give back to our community," said Fay Parpart, R.N., assistant professor in the VCU School of Nursing.

The Family Fun Night is just one of a series of events planned by the School of Nursing. In August, the school worked with the Hayes E. Willis Health Center to present the Tweens and Teens Health Summit. Students learned about paying for college, conflict resolution and good study skills. Through the support of community donations, each student received a backpack filled with school supplies to get the new year off to a good start. 

“We're excited to partner with schools and community organizations to talk with parents and kids about staying healthy. A healthy lifestyle sets kids up for a successful future that can positively impact all areas of their lives," said Stephanie Ferguson, Ph.D., R.N., associate professor in the VCU School of Nursing and coordinator of the CNO. "The VCU School of Nursing is committed to working with community organizations to improve health for families throughout Richmond."