With guidance from Professors Ann Zahner and Judy Neubauer, nursing students offered free blood pressure screening to voters on November 7, Election Day.
Students were on hand from 8-10 a.m. and 12-2 p.m. outside Community Hall, a local polling place. According to Zahner the students administered more than 25 blood pressure screenings during the day.
“Hypertension is a silent disease which many do not know they have,” explained Zahner. “Often people do not seek health care unless there is an obvious problem. High blood pressure is quietly doing damage to our body without our knowledge.”
Blood pressure screening is just the first step and requires follow-up. One high blood pressure reading does not mean that a person has hypertension.
“Our nursing students shared this information with voters. We will also be handing out recommendations for colorectal, lung, breast, and cervical cancer screenings,” Zahner said.
The nursing Social Justice Committee created the idea of health screenings on Election Day to serve the Aston community.