Nursing students work at nursing homes to help combat coronavirus spread
Several students for nursing from the Jerusalem College of Technology have been performing coronavirus testing for the elderly and the employees at nursing homes.
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERINursing Home for Anusi Mashhad, Herzliya(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Nursing students from the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) have begun working at nursing homes across Israel – in partnership with the Health Ministry, Home Front Command and health maintenance organizations – to attempt to combat the spread of coronavirus.Over 30 students are going to various nursing homes and performing COVID-19 tests for both the elderly and nursing home workers.Operational assistance from both the Defense Ministry and Home Front Command has been critical in nursing homes as one in every three Israelis who died from the novel coronavirus were residents of such facilities.In accordance with the instructions of the director of nursing at the Health Ministry, we have trained our students to operate in the field and to play a significant role in curbing the spread of coronavirus in nursing homes," explained Prof. Freda Gantz, dean of JCT's Faculty of Life and Health Sciences.The same team of nursing students had assisted coronavirus patients with ventilators in their homes so as to alleviate the strain in hospitals one month prior, according to JCT."Therefore, this project aims to stop the spread of the virus in homes and professional teams, ultimately protecting the elderly and connecting them with the best possible treatment," said Miri Mirishvilli, a JCT graduate who majored in geriatric nursing who works as director of nursing services and geriatrics at Clalit Health Services in Ashdod.
