Extending care far beyond hospital walls
It’s important to members of the Ohio State University Nurses Organization/Ohio Nurses Association/AFT not just to talk the talk, but also to walk the walk when it comes to community care and service. One way to exemplify this was by hosting the local’s first ever First Book event on April 18 where OSUNO generously donated books to students at a local elementary school. The OSUNO nurses spread joy by putting books into the eager hands of hundreds of students at West Broad Elementary School, a K-5 school on the west side of Columbus.
Catharyne Henderson, OSUNO’s 1st vice president, shared the heart behind the local’s mission. “I think a lot of times nurses see the union as adversarial with the hospital. Yes, we advocate fiercely when needed, but we are much more than that. This event, along with others, will demonstrate that we are deeply invested in our community,” she says. “These students and staff members could be our patients or their families. We need to do more than just provide care inside of the hospital.”
“These students and staff members could be our patients or their families. We need to do more than just provide care inside of the hospital.”
West Broad Elementary School welcomed the nurses with open arms. “It’s an underserved area,” Henderson explains. “So, when we left extra books for their library and for the kids to take home, the staff were overjoyed. Many of these children don’t have access to books otherwise.”
More than 250 students received books that day. “Even when the school faced last-minute testing hurdles, the administrators insisted we proceed,” says Henderson. “They recognized the importance of what we were doing.”
Multiple nurses volunteered, coming from different specialties throughout the hospital and the ambulatory clinics. Henderson emphasizes, “Every nurse had their own reason for being there — whether it was personal experiences from their childhood, with their own kids, or just having a passion for literacy and a love of reading. It showed how diverse we can be yet have a common goal. It was beautiful to see.”
The students’ excitement was palpable, and the teachers were grateful beyond words. Henderson shared their plans for future endeavors, including a potential backpack giveaway and planting flowers at a human trafficking shelter.
“Working at Ohio State, we provide medical care within the hospital, but we want to get out there and show that we do more than that when we serve our communities,” says Henderson. “We are an integral part of and invested in our community beyond the hospital walls. We will use every opportunity to give back and contribute to making our communities better in whatever way we can.”
This story was written by AFT communications specialist Adrienne Coles. Want to see more stories like this? Subscribe to AFT e-newsletters.
