ESU Nursing Students Participate in National Point in Time Count

Lori Pierangeli, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, wanted her students to open their eyes to a population that doesn’t always have a place to sleep at night.

Approximately 25 students participated in this winter’s National Point in Time Count (PIT), which began on January 28. The PIT, an annual count of unsheltered homeless people in Monroe County, is required nationally by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the last 10 days of January. The data collected by the count determines how much funding to allocate toward community efforts to help the homeless.

Last year, Dr. Pierangeli introduced her upper level Community Health Nursing class to the count and about 30 students and instructors agreed to volunteer. After a positive reaction from her students, she decided to make the count part of the students’ clinical hours.

“I wanted nursing students to have the opportunity to learn what it’s like to be in this situation,” she said. “They need to learn about the community and the strengths and needs that exist within the community.”

Dr. Pierangeli encourages the students to interact with and get to know some of the homeless people through participation in community meals. Part of the count includes interviews, with one of the first questions being, “Where will you sleep tonight?”

Dr. Pierangeli surveyed the students prior to the count to determine how knowledgeable and comfortable they are with the homeless population. In addition to the PIT count, some of the students will provide “lunch and learns” at the Street to Feet shelter starting late February.

For more information, contact Dr. Pierangeli at 570-422- 3564, or lpierangeli@esu.edu

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