School of Nursing

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Key Initiatives

Mobile Health and Wellness Program

Mobile Health and Wellness logo

Spearheaded by the VCU School of Nursing, the Mobile Health and Wellness Program delivers weekly wellness clinics that focus on health assessment, monitoring and coaching in nine community-based sites across the central Virginia region. About 100 VCU undergraduate and graduate learners from VCU schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Medicine, Social Work and the departments of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Kinesiology and Health Sciences and Psychology staff the clinics with guidance from and in collaboration with VCU faculty.

Community members who participate in the program get access to key services to help them independently manage their health care needs, receive help with care coordination and participate in wellness coaching and programs, with the aim of proactively managing health issues and social needs before they develop into emergencies.

Aging in Place

Rachel Wood, Jane Chung, Natalie Mansion and Jodi Winship

A team of VCU interprofessional researchers led by Jane Chung, Ph.D., RN, has studied how smart speakers could be a means to support independent living and wellness among low-income senior housing residents. With nearly 800,000 older adults living in low-income senior housing in the U.S., smart speakers have the potential to mitigate some of the challenges stemming from the population’s higher rates of chronic disease and depression. Using smart speaker technology to give reminders for social activities in the facility, safety risk notifications, or medication reminders, the team has evaluated the attitudes and perceptions of residents toward voice-operated smart speakers. Their findings suggest that smart speakers can be a useful tool to organize health-related reminders, get access to information, and improve quality of life. This research is funded by the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging to facilitate planning of future low-cost, technology-based interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

Faculty Practice Plan

aerial night view of V.C.U. Health system

In 2021, the VCU School of Nursing established its Faculty Practice Plan with MCV Physicians. This arrangement allows the school to share contract agreements so that School of Nursing nurse practitioner faculty can practice within their specialty at VCU Health up to two days per week. 

This academic-practice model creates new opportunities for the school, enriching the teaching and learning experience for our students through precepting, expanding networks and partnerships with VCU Health, supporting professional development and opportunities for new scholarship for our faculty, and expanding the school's visibility and reach.

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