Volunteers of the Week: RCC Student Nurses Leydi Flores, Domenica Riolo and Fatoumata Diallo

By Barry Warner

Registered Nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions and provide advice and emotional support to patients and family members. The RCC Nursing Program prepares students for a career as a Registered Nurse. Students complete required nursing courses, as well as the general education courses.

The Student Nurses Association (SNA):

. Provides support and guidance for students enrolled in the Nursing Education Programs.

. Offers learning experiences outside the classroom for personal and professional growth.

. Encourages participation in meaningful college and community activities.

. Promotes ideas of healthful living.

Student Nurses Association Advisor Sara Annunziato said, “Leydi Flores has been the President of the SNA and is graduating this semester. She is the single mother of two boys. She has volunteered at the Cystic Fibrosis walk twice this year. She has also participated this semester in SUNY’s ‘Got Your Back’ event. She helped plan the SNA’s presentation at Clarkstown South High School’s Health Fair and provided health screenings at RCC’s health and wellness fair. Leydi provides mentoring sessions to assist our new nursing students learn skills and access resources on campus. Leydi also volunteered to help out at this year’s Rockland County Nurse Recognition Day program.

“Cystic Fibrosis is a problem where the individual has a lot of mucus in their organs. The leaders of the Cystic Fibrosis Walk reached out to the school and wanted us to volunteer. The organization does fundraising, so they have these rubber bracelets that are offered to students and faculty to purchase. As a nursing student, I volunteer to give back to the community. When I started the program I felt that as nursing students we should be with the people. That’s what we are going to do. It’s is a passion” Leydi Flores told the Rockland County Times.

SNA Advisor Sara Annunziato said, “Domenica Riolo is a graduating nursing student who states she is excited to see what the future holds in her nursing career. She has volunteered throughout the program and loves giving back to the community. She has volunteered for cystic fibrosis, the school fair and health fair. She also mentors our new nursing students and assists with new student orientation. She also volunteered in the mother-baby unit at Nyack Hospital when she was in high school.”

“I have done a health fair at Clarkstown South High School about the use of sun screen because of the high risk of getting cancer. I have also done a health fair here on campus. I talked about the normal ranges of blood pressure and if it was high, then the person should see a doctor. Students were asking me to take their blood pressure. I also explained that at the end of the semester their anxiety should be reduced that their blood pressure should return to normal. I recently did a walk for Cystic Fibrosis and that was more heartfelt because there were families that were going through it or that lost a loved one. It was good to see the community come together as a whole group to raise awareness of a disease that not many people know about. I did not know much about the disease until I took a class about it.” Domenica Riolo told the Rockland County Times.

SNA Advisor Sara Annunziato said, “Fatoumata Diallo has just finished her maternity rotation and is going into her last semester of pediatrics and cardiac in the Fall. She is the Secretary for the SNA. She helps orient our new nursing students each semester at our new student orientation. She provides health screening to faculty and students each year at our health and wellness fairs. She also mentors new nursing students helping them learn and practice skills. Fatou also participated in the SUNY ‘Got Your Back’ campaign. She is part of the second generation in my family to go to college. These students also plan to assist at the Relay for Life event on June 8^th in Pearl River, providing health screenings during the event.”

“The ‘Got Your Back’ campaign is an organization that provides toiletries for those people suffering domestic abuse. We packed toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap bars. We asked students passing by to help us pack up about 1,500 kits that would go to women shelters. It was a nice cause and I was happy to do it” Fatoumata Diallo told the Rockland County Times.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. It is an inherited chronic disorder that causes the mucus to be thick and sticky.

Health fairs are an essential part of education and preventative medicine. They can also facilitate early treatment of certain conditions. Health fairs not only provide general information about good health and preventative medicine, but also offer screenings, such as blood pressure and cardiovascular health, that can detect problems. Health fairs relay essential information about the human body and its functions in a fun and interactive way.

SUNY’s ‘Got Your Back’’ campaign provides the opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to create comfort kits for victims and survivors of violence. Every day in New York, adults and children seek assistance from hospitals and domestic violence centers. Often they come with little more than the clothes they are wearing. Money that shelters and other organizations spend on personal care items is money that they are not spending on other more important costs.