PHOENIX, AZ — Arizona’s future frontline healthcare workers spent the summer learning about heat relief while also serving people inside a busy central Phoenix respite center.
This summer, the Burton Barr Central Library has been a safe haven from the heat as a cooling and respite center.
It’s also been a training ground for future nurses.
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“What we're seeing in the community translates into the hospital field for them, because most of our graduates will end up in a hospital-based setting,” ASU Edson College of Nursing instructor Rachel Breslauer said.
Weekly, students and supervisors served people who came in, conducting screenings and helping with conditions exacerbated by extreme heat.
“Teaching students okay, how do we cool somebody down safely? What kinds of things do you need to look for in somebody who's overheated? And then how can we make sure that we're sending them back out to be successful and they're not going to be in a situation like that again,” Breslauer said.
This was the second summer of the partnership between the school and the city, which wrapped up this week.
The library’s respite center will stay open through September with other local partnerships offering similar health screenings.
