Reconnecting to the Patient Experience at The Commons

On Friday, July 12, a group of nursing students from Malcolm X College visited The Commons with their instructor, Dr. Dawn Wilson, for a tour and an opportunity to get their hands in the soil at the Sweet Water Community Farm. This is the second group of nursing students that Dr. Wilson has brought to The Commons to introduce concepts of growing healthy food and expose them to community health resources, such as Sweet Water Foundation, that they may not know exist. Read on to learn more about their visit.

Dr. Dawn opened the tour by expressing to the group that she often sees nurses in hospital settings who are disconnected from the patient experience and her hope for their visit to SWF was to reconnect them with the earth and with people.  With reconnection in mind, they got to work on the farm; weeding and harvesting alongside the SWF team. After volunteering, the group toured The Commons and witnessed firsthand the impact of SWF. At the end of the day, the group visited SWF’s Farmer’s Market and reflected on their day. 

Hands-on experiences such as these offer nurses and other healthcare professionals an opportunity to consider the root causes of disease and have a deeper understanding of the patient experience. The group had an opportunity to learn the value of good health and spend time in a place that offers a different form of healing for community members and for those who step onsite. Sweet Water Foundation looks forward to offering this experience to more healthcare students and professionals via Sweet Water Academy. SWF would like to thank Dr. Dawn for bringing the group to The Commons and looks forward to welcoming another group next year!