Reply to my peers

Peer 1 

My practicum takes place at a child daycare center. This past week I spent time with the four and five year- old children. We talked about our teeth. When asked to raise their hand if they brushed their teeth, I was surprised to find that out of fifteen children, only eight had. This provided a good teaching opportunity about the function of our teeth.

We looked at pictures of teeth and learned that they help us bite, chew, talk, and help us smile. Then I read the book Why Should I Brush My Teeth. They were so enthralled with the twelve-page story. Afterward, I answered some of their questions about their teeth.

One of the Healthy People 2020 goals is to prevent dental caries. I believe that childcare centers can serve as educators for oral health. This can be achieved by offering water instead of fruit juice and sending home flyers to parents about healthy foods. 

I learned that I must shorten my lessons. Children ask a lot of questions, and I felt as if I needed to answer them all. My preceptor kept pointing to her watch. I do not know why I thought this would be easy.

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2014). Oral Health. Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/oral-health

Peer 2

This week was rather interesting. Just a reminder I am doing my capstone at A.L.I.C.E hope a non-profit organization that helps people deal with different trauma they are going through with the main one being domestic violence. My preceptor asked me to attend a banquet where she was getting honored for all her work within the community. This week my preceptor went met with different community leaders to discuss a plan to help victims of domestic violence. She also told me that she is a two-time survivor of domestic violence and that this is something close to her heart and she wanted women to know that they can get away and feel safe.

We had a client call and said she was feeling really down and felt like everywhere she went her partner was following her. She said she started receiving calls and when she answered the person hung up in her face. She said she felt like she can't live like this anymore. We met up with her and helped get her numbers changed. We also set her up with temporary housing with a security system so she feels a little safer. My preceptor also talked with her to see where her mind was because she knew other women that committed suicide and did not want this to happen. The lady says he feels safer and is going to set up an appointment with the therapist. At that moment I never realized how traumatic or emotionally draining. This made me want to help even more. Everyone deserves to feel safe at home and not constantly looking over their shoulder. Women who have dealt with domestic violence may have depression or even experience PTSD. October is domestic violence awareness month and my preceptor mentioned to me that many people think domestic violence is only physical and she says that a myth. She said domestic violence is physical, mental, verbal, emotional, financial, and psychological abuse. 

References 

DomesticShelters.org. (2020, October 14). Domestic Violence Survivors at Higher Risk for Suicide. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles/health/domestic-violence-survivors-at-higher-risk-for-suicide