DENVER SCHOOL OF NURSING REQUESTS PUBLIC DONATIONS FOR HAITI MEDICAL DRIVE OCTOBER 17-31

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 17, 2011 -- DENVER - (Oct. 17, 2011) — The Denver School of Nursing (DSN) is requesting public donations for its medical drive on Oct. 17-31, to assist two of their graduates who will be participating in a medical mission to Chantal, Haiti, Nov.14-18.

This is not the first Haiti trip for Greg Ellsworth who volunteered previously through the Share to Care program and now plans to provide direct patient care, including triage, injections, and intravenous therapy on their return. His enthusiasm was the impetus for fellow student Jenn Conley and six others from the Denver area to join him.

“I hope to hone in on my assessment skills to assist in diagnosing patients and providing relief to the population,” Ms. Conley said, with Mr. Ellsworth echoing that sentiment.

To assist the graduates in their trip, Denver School of Nursing is hosting a medicine drive beginning Monday, Oct. 17 and is asking the public to contribute over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, vitamins with iron, and Tums for both children and adults. The supplies can be dropped off Monday-Friday at the campus, located at 1401 19th Street, Denver from 8:00 am-4:00 pm.

“The local population doesn’t have access to even the basic, everyday medications we take for granted,” noted Mr. Ellsworth.

According to the Care to Share’s blog site, a normally small community of approximately 1,500 people, Chantal has nearly doubled in size with refugees. Currently, Chantal has a small dispensary run by two nursing sisters from the local church; these sisters are providing a site to Care to Share for the trip. The blog also reports that the program hopes to raise $300,000 to build a modern facility that can provide basic healthcare year-round. The program’s goals include keeping the clinic fully stocked, providing disease-prevention education, and continuing to send teams of healthcare providers to support the clinic.

In addition to the medicine drive, Ms. Conley organized a fundraiser on Oct.8 at The French Press Café and Bakery in Lakewood where she raffled 30 items from local artists.

“My main focus is to collect or purchase 700 pounds of medical supplies to bring with us,” Ms. Conley stated. “This event was extremely successful in raising awareness and helping us meet our financial goals.”

In an effort to assist those in the rural community this mission serves, Denver School of Nursing also is donating college t-shirts for the Chantal, Haiti mission trip. The drive will end on Halloween to allow sufficient time to inventory and package the donated goods.

“The Denver School of Nursing is proud of our alumni who have taken the school’s healthcare mission and translated it into an international reality,” explained Jenny Burton RN, BSN, MBA director of student services at DSN. “The fact that they are subsidizing this trip out of their own pocket increases our determination to collaborate and ensure their success.”

For more information about the Chantal, Haiti, trip or to make a donation, please visit www.chantalhaitimission.wordpress.com.

Denver School of Nursing (DSN), located at 1401 19th Street, is a private, post-secondary educational institution providing educational programs and training for nurses and other healthcare professionals. The school offers associate as well as bachelor degrees in nursing. DSN is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges and was granted full approval for its associate and bachelors nursing programs by the Colorado State Board of Nursing. For more information, call the campus at 303-292-0015 or go online at www.denverschoolofnursing.edu.
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