Andrews worked at Rising Sun Health Center in Philadelphia, PA, where her primary duties included giving vaccines to children, performing physicals, administering injections, conducting physical assessments and providing patient education. For example, during Andrews’ internship at the Center she had a diabetic patient with a glucose level of 98 that dropped to 35 within an hour.  “I knew there was a problem when the patient was not responding appropriately,”  Andrews said.  “The first thing I thought to do was to recheck his glucose level and administer a boost drink to bring up his sugar level and it worked. The knowledge that I have obtained in the classroom and through my professors at Eastern is what helped me recognize the signs that my patient was hypoglycemic.”

Thanks to the education she is receiving at Eastern, along with her internship and volunteer work, the undergraduate nursing student is well on her way to a successful nursing career.
 
The eight-week IBC program will complement Andrews’ Eastern nursing school education with real-world experience. “I knew the opportunity was perfect for me because I would like my specialty to be community nursing when I graduate, and the program focused on community nursing, insured, uninsured, and underinsured patients,” she said. 

Andrews was drawn into the nursing field after caring for her ailing grandfather when she was a young girl.  She has followed this calling with numerous jobs and volunteer commitments within the nursing industry. Andrews has been a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) since 2002, working with PA Agency of Nurses and Manchester Nursing Home.  She has also volunteered with Care Pavilion Nursing Home, the University of Pennsylvania Health Fair for Cancer Awareness, and the Independence Blue Cross volunteer group called the Blue Crew.

Since her enrollment at Eastern University, Andrews’ passion and devotion to the field of nursing has grown immensely.  “Eastern has taught me so much through my classes and in the nursing lab, from practicing how to give injections to learning how to change bandages and do assessments,” she said.  “It’s because of these classes that I excelled in my summer internship.  I’ve also learned how to talk to patients and provide education, which is an important quality in a nurse. I’m feeling more and more ready to go. I’m really excited to get out there and make a positive impact on my community.”

Eastern University is a Christian university of the arts and sciences dedicated through teaching, scholarship, service, spiritual formation, student development and societal involvement to the preparation of undergraduate and graduate students for thoughtful and productive lives of Christian faith and service.  For more information about Eastern University’s nursing programs, visit http://www.eastern.edu/academic/ccgps/nursing/index.html. 

For 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.  IBC has awarded more than $6.5 million for more than 2,300 undergraduate and graduate scholarships to future practice nurses and nurse educators at 29 accredited area nursing programs. Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit http://www.ibx.com/index.jsp.