SONShine Community Service
The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing values community service as a component of education and development. Service projects provide opportunities for faculty, staff and students to demonstrate the professional values through value-based behavior: caring, altruism, respect for human dignity, integrity, social justice, ethical principles and cultural sensitivity.
Although the school has a longstanding history of participation in service-related activities, the SONShine Community Service program ensures nursing student contribution. "SONShine" stands for "School of Nursing Shine" and has been in place since 2006. Students serve eight hours per academic year (four hours in the fall semester and four hours in the spring semester) in a community-service activity at participating organizations. SONShine Community Service ensures appropriate time allocation and corporate priority for service projects involving all of the academic programs.
A few examples of community service events for which students have volunteered:
- Habitat for Humanity
- Community health screenings
- Food drives
- SON school-based clinics
- Diabetes, heart and cancer walks
Partnership with Hospital Volunteer Services
In fall 2009, the School of Nursing and the UMMC Hospital Volunteer Services enthusiastically created a partnership. The UMMC Hospital Volunteer Services department realized that there was a great need for volunteers to do a variety of tasks, such as helping patients find appointment locations, escorting visitors, managing the telephones and serving snacks and magazines in the waiting rooms. The Hospital Volunteer Services department did not have the number of volunteers to fill the volume of requests, and thus began our wonderful partnership!
The SON found that this partnership would provide a superb opportunity for our undergraduate students to give back to UMMC, donating their time and talent. The benefits are numerous in that students have the flexibility to complete their service hours anytime during the semester, tailoring the hours to fit the busy academic schedule. In addition the students are able to make contacts and connections with nurses, physicians and other staff throughout the hospital.
Some students, through their volunteering at UMMC, have even discovered new interests and possible places for future employment!
SONShine community service resources
- SONShine Community Service Form(.pdf)
If you have questions regarding SONShine community service, please contact Tammy Dempsey, director of Student Affairs, at (601) 984-6252 or tdempsey@umc.edu.