Liberty University nursing professor opens Gateway to patient care

In the mix of learning procedures for bedside nursing, Liberty University nursing professor Rosie Taylor-Lewis worried that students were losing out on a key component of health care — what caused the patient to need treatment?

“When we take care of someone in the hospital, there is a story behind them,” she said. “I really want students, particularly with our program, to graduate with a really strong understanding of that.”

As part of her crisis nursing class at Liberty, Taylor-Lewis partnered with The Gateway in downtown Lynchburg, which provides transitional housing and supportive services to homeless men recovering from substance abuse.

And as a result of that partnership, Taylor-Lewis now is pursuing a doctorate degree with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.

Last fall, her class of 19 students went one-by-one to visit The Gateway and learn the life stories of its residents who were willing to share.

“Their stories were just so amazing,” said LU senior Nina Kantor, adding that she had formed friendships with the residents as a result. “You have people from all walks of life.”

The service-learning class also took trips to the city jail, the Daily Bread, local emergency rooms and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. They also rode along with the Lynchburg Police Department and emergency medical crews.

But they were most touched by their interactions with residents of The Gateway, Taylor-Lewis said.

Lisa Dibble, executive director of The Gateway, said the program has drawn in “all different kinds of men.”

Some elderly; some with college degrees; some newly released inmates of prisons.

Residents have included former professional musicians, carpenters, nurses and computer specialists.

The Gateway houses up to 24 men at a time — each with a story that led them to the program.

Taylor-Lewis also got insight into those stories through journals that students submitted detailing their experiences visiting the men.

“I read very intensely,” she said.

The Gateway focuses on recovery from addictions through substance abuse counseling, required compliance with 12-step programs and regular drug and alcohol testing.

It also requires residents to gain employment so they can pay off debts, pay a monthly rent and save money to get back on their feet.

Dibble calls it a “holistic” approach that seeks to transform all aspects of a resident’s physical and mental health.

Through their interactions, Taylor-Lewis’ students learned about the challenges that vulnerable populations face with health care.

Lynchburg doesn’t lack in services, she said; The Gateway partners with the Free Clinic and other local agencies for its residents’ health care needs.

But maneuvering the system can be a challenge, Taylor-Lewis said.

Plus, Dibble said, the homeless population is more likely to have hepatitis, HIV, diabetes, tuberculosis or a range of problems from long-term nutritional deficiencies and substance abuse.

Reading her students’ journals “laid the foundation,” for Taylor-Lewis learning more about the link between homelessness and the loss of health care, she said.

That inspired her to pursue a doctoral program focusing on vulnerable populations. She is in her first semester of a four-semester program at Old Dominion University, and she plans to conduct her research at The Gateway.

Kantor, who spent a full day with the residents, said the experience “completely changed” her view of nursing, she said.

“They told us their life stories, what brought them here and what they’re doing to get back on their feet,” she said. “It completely brought you back to the patient.”

As she prepares to graduate and move to Cleveland for her first nursing position, she and another student who also took the class already are applying their new knowledge.

She learned where they would be moving and immediately wanted to know where they could volunteer to work with the homeless.

“The first thing I looked up was homeless shelters and soup kitchens,” she said. “We’re taking this with us.”