Emma McAndrew

UConn School of Nursing, Class of 2019

I was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and raised in South Windsor, Connecticut. I am currently working to obtain my Bachelor of Science at UConn.

During my freshman year at the UConn, I volunteered at Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. I spent time with elderly residents and assisted them with their daily activities. Beginning in July of 2016, I was trained and certified as a Patient Care Associate at Hartford Hospital where I care for post-surgery patients. The tasks involved in this position include performing minor medical duties, such as taking vital signs and measuring blood glucose levels; and assisting patients with daily activities, such as walking, eating, and bathing.

Through its more hands-on, service learning approach to healthcare education, the Urban Service Track is a valuable opportunity to further my education while allowing me to provide information about health and wellness to underserved individuals in urgent need of care and assistance. The UST is more permeable to community life than other health care education programs: by working with community children and adults through the UST, I can gain training that melds medical practice with common community interactions. This sort of training will improve my ability to provide individualized, communicative care to my patients, and to focus not just on seeking short term medical solutions, but also on teaching long-term health habits. The UST will thus help me procure a better long-term health outcome for my future patients.