Together, we can: Clinical Instructor Patricia Tillman-Meakins, Ph.D., ANP-BC
"Together, we can” is a series of stories featuring U-M School of Nursing faculty members who will be guiding our students through their nursing education amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this series, you will learn about the people at the U-M School of Nursing who make it possible for our students to feel safe and secure as they learn and grow into Michigan Nurses.
Patricia Tillman-Meakins has focused her career on community health. As clinical instructor, she relies on her experience as a community health nurse, U-M alumna and lifelong member of the local community to guide seniors in the BSN program through their community health courses in the classroom and two clinical sections.
“Community Health is one of those Capstone courses where students have to bring forward everything they've learned about nursing and pick the appropriate tools to use depending on the client and the situation,” she said. “This area is my home. I'm very familiar with being a student in this environment and very familiar with these communities, so I have a unique perspective that can help students consider certain things, including social determinants of health.”
New opportunities for clinical learning
Because of COVID-19, traditional training sites at community organizations and local school districts are no longer available. This fall, students in her community health course will remain on campus to conduct contact tracing and case investigation with the U-M School of Public Health.
“It's relevant because this is what we're dealing with at the moment,” she explained. “Students can be involved in a very safe but also very integral way, and we can link that to all of the public health and community health concepts.”
Safety and support
Tillman-Meakins knows that in these new circumstances, safety is the top priority. And she plans to ensure a safe clinical experience through solidarity, trust and open communication.
“Every environment that I put my students in, I go into first. I make sure that the relationships are solid. I find out what the expectations are, what my students will be exposed to, and I will continue to do that throughout the term.”
Clinical Instructor Patricia Tillman-Meakins on how constant communication can keep students safe.
To better understand her students’ needs, Tillman-Meakins wants to focus on what they know about the pandemic.
“I’m going to have more than a few conversations about what they understand about COVID-19 and the pandemic landscape,” she said. “By understanding what they know and how that frames their actions, I can have a better idea of what information I need to clarify.”
Tillman-Meakins, who has been preparing for her own child’s return to the classroom, wants to reassure her students and those who care about them that U-M School of Nursing faculty have worked hard to be prepared. She recognizes that open, honest communication between students and their instructors has never been more important.
“If you don’t feel safe, let’s talk about it and work through that. But know that your feelings and concerns are valid,” she said. “Know that we’re constantly thinking about your safety — we are not making any decisions without your safety in mind.”
