Niagara University's School of Nursing participated in the Million Hearts® event at the John Dukes Community Center on April 29.

On Saturday, April 29, students from the Niagara University’s nursing program took part in the Million Hearts® event at the John Dukes Community Center. It was part of a larger event in collaboration with Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

Million Hearts® is a national initiative that has set an ambitious goal to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Million Hearts® brings together existing efforts and new programs to improve health across communities and help Americans live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

Niagara students Samantha Loper, Leena Kubiak, Ashleigh Miller, Katelyn Baran, Cassandra Zimmerman, Allison Courtney, Ariana Clouden, and Kaitlyn Lesswing administered basic medical evaluations to more than 36 individuals from the Niagara Falls community. The care included a basic checkup with blood pressure screening, body mass index calculation and stress level assessment, as well as counseling as per the Million Hearts guidelines. The nursing students were under the direction of three School of Nursing faculty members, Carol Winkler and Drs. Maria Gadawski and Michael Ackerman. The nursing students also worked closely with medical residents from Memorial in providing health and wellness counseling.

“Our nursing students were a powerful presence at the Niagara Falls Memorial event,” said Dr. Ackerman, associate director of Niagara’s School of Nursing. “By providing care and treatment, our students were able to put into the practice the skills they have acquired in our program, and they were able to provide a much-needed resource to the Niagara Falls community.”

Niagara University’s School of Nursing is accredited by the New York State Department of Education and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The School of Nursing offers three different degree programs: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing (4-Year Degree), RN-to-B.S. Completion Program (Post-Associate Degree), and an Accelerated B.S. in Nursing (1-Year Post-Baccalaureate Degree).

In each of the programs, students are prepared to internalize and integrate the professional nursing paradigm of critical analysis and problem solving, healthcare leadership and management, communication and research utilization, community-based care, and the values of respect for human dignity and ethical decision-making related to the scope of professional nursing practice.