Omani Villanova nursing students educate Main Line Health nurses about sickle cell disease

Villanova, PA, April 16, 2010 — Villanova University College of Nursing students, Zayana Al Saudi and Mudhar Al Adawi, from the Sultanate of Oman developed and presented a continuing education presentation The Global Nature of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) for the Nursing Education department of Main Line Health on April 12th.

The conference was presented twice to a live audience of staff nurses at Lankenau Hospital while being simultaneously teleconferenced to live audiences at Bryn Mawr and Riddle Memorial Hospitals. The conference was coordinated in conjunction with Mary Beth Sedwick BSN, MS, CCRN, clinical nurse educator for ICU & CTICU and lead nurse educator for Lankenau Hospital. Attendees earned one contact hour for continuing education. The conference was also attended by M. Louise Fitzpatrick, EdD, RN, FAAN, Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor and Angelina Arcamone, PhD, RN, CCE, coordinator of clinical education for the College of Nursing.

The purpose of the Zayana’s and Mudhar’s presentation was to educate health providers about the types, complications, management and cultural dimensions of nursing care of the patients with SCD. SCD is an inherited disorder which affects the oxygen-carrying red blood cells, which, due to abnormal hemoglobin, become crescent-shaped, clogging small blood vessels and causing chronic anemia, severe pain, tissue and organ damage and can be life threatening. In their presentation, they presented an overview of data to illustrate the impact of SCD on three populations most often seen in this region: African Americans, Hispanics and Middle Eastern populations. “Sickle cell disease is not African American disease. It can affect anyone of any race. We chose to conclude the presentation with care and needs of Muslim women to bring the awareness of the cultural diversity needs for patients in the hospitals,” explains Mudhar.

This project was in partial fulfillment of the students’ clinical practicum in their senior level Health Promotion course under the direction of their clinical advisor Assistant Professor Elizabeth Petit de Mange, PhD, MSN, NP-C, RN. The students were mentored during their clinical rotation by Tracy Swift-Merrick, director of Programs for the Sickle Cell Association of Philadelphia and hematologist Roy Gay, MD from Penn Presbyterian Hospital who provides care to more than 200 patients with SCD. Swift-Merrick attended the presentation and discussed the services offered by the Sickle Cell Association of Philadelphia Delaware Valley Chapter. Dr. Gay participated by conference call to answer questions related to medical management of the patient with sickle cell disease. In the past several years Swift-Merrick and Debbie Butler of the Sickle Cell Association and Dr. Gay have generously given their time and shared their expertise with Villanova Nursing students.