Mercy College Nursing Students Donate Time to Ensure PPE is Available to Health Systems Around the World

A group of retired nurses recently teamed up with nursing students from Mercy College to sort and pack personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies at the AFYA Foundation distribution warehouse in Yonkers, New York. The Foundation gathers donated medical supplies and delivers them to underserved or compromised health systems in New York and to nearly 80 countries around the world.

The student nurses are enrolled in Mercy’s Accelerated Second Degree Nursing Program, a pre-licensure program designed for students who already have a baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing field of study and desire to earn a nursing degree quickly. Two groups from the current cohort have been making weekly trips to Yonkers to complete their community health rotation while helping the AFYA Foundation accomplish its humanitarian mission.

“Our nursing students gain so much from these community health rotations,” said Dr. Miriam Ford, assistant professor and associate dean for nursing. “Not only are they having a positive impact on the community by giving back, but they are also developing professional relationships with truly inspiring practitioners who have much to offer. We are so grateful to both AFYA and the New State Nurses Association for this opportunity.”

A story about the nursing students and the support from the retired nurses appeared in the December issue of New York Nurse, a publication of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), which is the state’s largest professional organization for registered nurses.