Many rural schools in Idaho do not have a school nurse. Schools in the Marsing school district are included in that number but some Boise State nursing students are stepping up to help out at Marsing Elementary.
"As a nursing student, working with Marsing School District has helped me a lot, working with underserved populations," said Karina Dekker, Boise State nursing student.
Karina wants to go into critical care preferably the intensive care unit.
"I've always loved science and no one in my family is in the medical field but someone brought it up like, oh you'd be a great nurse and so I just seeked this profession and I'm so happy to be doing nursing," said Dekker.
She says building relationships with patients is important to her but first she must graduate from nursing school.
Boise State nursing students must complete a community outreach project during their senior year and some of the seniors have been working with the Marsing Elementary School to increase health promotion activities.
"And so coming out here, assessing the needs of the children, and also the staff and parents has helped me take a different approach of nursing," said Dekker.
A trainer from a local gym taught students the importance of physical education and dentists from the community instructed students on good dental practices.
Karina says using limited resources to help rural students will ultimately help her in her career.
"I think that will help in the hospital setting too because sometimes they need resources outside the hospital to help them get the care they need," said Dekker.
Marsing School District will have a bond proposal coming before the voters in March to build a new middle school and a new gym. A school-based health center is also being considered as part of the bond.
