News
Luna nursing students partner with local Samaritan House
Luna nursing students not only get a top-notch education, beginning this semester they are learning to help out the poor and most vulnerable in society.
The Luna nursing program partnered with the local Samaritan House and have started providing basic assessments, observation for disease control, intakes, referrals, goal setting, assistance with meals and more importantly, learning more about care and compassion.
“We are excited that our students have the opportunity to work with people that are barely meeting their basic needs,” said Luna Nursing Director Maxine Hughes. “Our students will learn what it means to live moment-to-moment. As nurses, it is so important to have compassion with everyone in society.”
The mission of Samaritan House is to create a supportive community by providing housing and resources for positive change in lives of persons living with special needs as they provide a continuum of care to those in crisis due to homelessness, poverty or disability.
“I am excited at the opportunity to work with Luna nursing students in our emergency housing shelter,” said Las Vegas Samaritan House Executive Director George Lyons. “The need for services to the impoverished is great in San Miguel County and especially in Las Vegas with a poverty rate of 34 percent compared to 20 percent statewide. Luna is doing much more than simply partnering with us, they are teaching students a lifelong lesson of empathy for a person who experiences life from the outside in.”
According to information from the Las Vegas Samaritan House, in 2017, they met the critical needs of individuals providing 4,728 food packages, 272 thrift store vouchers, 2,723 meals. 824 emergency bed nights, 97 motel bed nights for children and their families and 86 people were helped off the street and into stable housing.