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Finlandia nursing students interact remotely

HANCOCK — The end of in-person classes is not stopping Finlandia University students from reaching out to the community. 

Students in Mark Miron’s psychiatric mental health nursing class have been meeting with residents at the Phoenix House in regular Zoom sessions. The nonprofit offers drug and alcohol rehabilitation counseling. 

During normal circumstances, students usually attend at the Phoenix House as a one-off rotation, where they attend a group meeting and do a presentation later in the week, Miron said. Instead, they’ll be working remotely with Phoenix House for the rest of the month. 

It fits with the content of the course, which involves therapeutic communication, building relationships and teaching patients, Miron said. 

“They’re doing the whole gamut,” Miron said. “Phoenix House came up with a whole list they would like our students to cover — everything from exercise to nutrition to sleep habits.”

Students meet with residents for about an hour a day, talking with residents and giving presentations on subjects like HIV. 

“I think they’re getting pretty bored there, and we get bored too, being stuck at home, so it’s a good way to interact with each other and learn from each other,” said Erika Tollefson, a sophomore nursing student. 

The residents have been welcoming and open, Tollefson said. They have learned as much from the residents as they have taught, she said. 

“It’s really eye-opening to go there,” she said. “I think it’s important and teaches us how important is it s to have these resources too, in a small community, because there’s such a large need for that,” she said. 

Normally the course also includes a long weekend at the inpatient psychiatric ward in Marquette and activities with Copper Country Mental Health facilities. They completed about half the class before everything shifted online, Miron said. 

Phoenix House isn’t the only place students will virtually meet. Students will reach out by phone to about 1,300 seniors through Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly. They’ll be filling out surveys and making sure the seniors are able to get groceries and go to their doctor appointments, Tollefson said. 

“What I’m basically looking for with these is interaction with people so they can focus on communication and relationship building, and they can also apply teaching,” Miron said.

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