YouthLink Celebrates Onsite Nurses
Even though the nursing profession dates back to ancient times, these skilled and empathetic caregivers have been in the spotlight over the past couple of years as a result of their tireless work during the COVID-19 pandemic. At YouthLink, one of the services we offer to young people experiencing homelessness is access to low barrier healthcare through our partnership with Hennepin County’s Health Care for the Homeless. We are proud to celebrate the nurses who make up the staff at our onsite clinic during National Nurses Week, celebrated annually May 6-12.
“It’s an honor working with young people,” said Julie Churcher, Hennepin County Registered Nurse and Clinic Supervisor who has worked onsite at YouthLink for three years. Through her past work with the St. Paul Public School system and adult homelessness, she became familiar with the multifaceted issues the clients we serve at YouthLink face on a daily basis. A federally funded program, Hennepin County’s Health Care for the Homeless offers free, walk-in services provided by staff especially skilled in working with individuals experiencing homelessness. No insurance is required and often staff will work with the young people they see to help them apply for it.
“I started as a nurse working in hospitals but I always had an interest in working with young adults,” said Carol Aschbacher, Hennepin County Nurse Practitioner who has been onsite at YouthLink for ten years. “The nurses here take pride in providing high quality care with dignity and respect to those who may have experienced trauma.” Working with clients in a setting such as YouthLink brings its own challenges one might not think about. “I can never assume they have resources that someone else might have – they might not be able to keep an ice pack cold or may not have a safe place to store medication,” she said. “We are client driven so we work to build a relationship with them and make a plan.”
In addition to the services they provide, a large part of their job is offering information in a non-judgmental way so young people can make the best decision for their own situation. “We saw this again and again when we started offering the COVID vaccine – there is so much misinformation out there,” said Churcher. “Young people often get caught up in the social media frenzy because they are always on their phones and things spread so quickly. There can also be historical trauma – one of the young people I talked with said that their grandfather was involved with the Tuskegee experiment so I tried to reassure him that healthcare isn’t going to harm him.”
National Nurses Week is celebrated in May to coincide with the birthdate of Florence Nightingale, the pioneering 19th century British nurse often cited as the founder of modern nursing. Today, her legacy lives on in the work of those who strive to care for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Please join us in celebrating the work of the amazing nurses at YouthLink!
