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Provide affordable, quality healthcare to uninsured and under-insured citizens of North Texas.

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Healthier Lives = Healthier Communities

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Metrocrest is a community clinic in North Texas that provides care for patients with chronic conditions, minor illness, diabetic care/supplies and women's health for patients 16+ years of age who have no insurance or are under insured.  Texas is the uninsured capital of the United States. More than 5.04 million Texans - including 784,000 children - lack health insurance. Texas' uninsurance rates, 1.5 to 2 times the national average, create significant problems in the financing and delivery of health care to all Texans. Those who lack insurance coverage typically enjoy far-worse health status than their insured counterparts.

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Choosing a clinical setting to complete my service learning hours helped me in multiple ways as a student nurse.  Interacting with so many different patients from different cultures was something I enjoyed.  Learning how to communicate and relate with different individuals is a valuable asset to nurses.  Nurses need to know how to care for their patients physically and emotionally.

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The staff at Metrocrest was very welcoming and willing to teach.  There is one physician on staff, Dr. Babaria, as well as one student nurse practitioner, two LVN's and 2 office staff members.  On varying days of the week, there are other specialty providers that offered, nutrition or even vision consultations to scheduled patients.  My main duties at the clinic were to follow Billie, one of the LVN's, and help her take vitals; such as patient's weight, blood pressure, respirations, temperature and assess their pain level, if any.  We would also inquire on the reason for the visit in order to prepare the patient to be seen by the student nurse practitioner and Dr. Baberia.  I also helped Billie prepare supplies for procedures, and observed her administer flu vaccines.

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As a first semester nursing student, we were required to complete a minimum of 15 hours of service learning.  I chose Metrocrest community clinic for a variety of reasons; The flexibility of being able to choose my own days to volunteer, I knew working in the clinic would help me develop my basic communication skills with patients, as well as help me become more comfortable with vitalizing patients.  Coming from a past of nothing but corporate office jobs, I had zero medical experience and I knew working at Metrocrest would help me with some of the basics.

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I've only experienced being the patient in the past.  I knew when I went to see the doctor that most of the time my sickness would be cured with a prescription and I'd be on my way.  I relied on the nurses and doctor's to be  knowledgeable and I trusted them with the most precious thing in my life that I honestly took for granted, my health.  Being on the care-giving side I realized how these patient's are just like me.  They are putting their health in our hands.  Adding the stress of not having sufficient health insurance or no insurance at all, it can make the stress of being ill that much worse.  It's something I've never personally had to deal with and seeing so many in this situation has definitely left an impact on me.