N479 Professional Activity Evaluation Form

Your Name: Lisa Siewert

Date of Activity: 10/22 and 11/5, 2016

Faculty Name: Bev Bias

Describe the community service/professional activity/s you attended or participated with

(be specific about the purpose and your role):
I attended two different activities to fulfill the eight hours of the professional activity assignment.
The first activity I attended was the Fire Safety program put on by the Red Cross. My role in this
program was to go around a mobile home park with a team of volunteers and install smoke
detectors for the residents, and also provide fire safety education. The second professional
activity I attended was the Medical Reserve Corps of Southern Arizona (MRC) meeting. This
meeting was for members of the MRC, and they meet a couple times a year, at least, for training.
This specific meeting was training on how to set up an effective volunteer headquarters in the
event of a disaster. My role in this meeting was to participate as if I were an active member in the
MRC, and I received training of disaster event preparedness and ran a mock volunteer check-in
booth in a practice volunteer headquarter set up scenario.
Where was this held and what was the program/activity length?
The Fire Safety program put on by the Red Cross is held a couple times a year in Tucson. The
specific event that I attended was on October 22nd, 2016. I volunteered for a total of 5 hours, and
put up a total of 10 smoke detectors and provided fire safety education to the people who lived in
the Vista Del Norte mobile home park. The Medical Reserve Corps meeting was held on
November 5th, at the Abrams Public Health Department. The meeting lasted from 9am to 12pm,
for a total of 3 hours, and included education and training in disaster communication,
organization, the role of the MRC, and a mock volunteer headquarters set up scenario.

Discuss the value of this experience to you (be specific).

I enjoyed the Red Cross volunteer opportunity immensely. It was extremely valuable to me, and I
feel like I really helped people in the community. One family that we installed a smoke detector
for explained how just a couple of months ago, her elderly mother had left the stove on while her
and her son were napping and she awoke to her child saying he couldnt breathe because the
house was filled with smoke. This family did not have any smoke detectors at this time. She was
so grateful for us, and it was very meaningful to me to know that what I was doing that day was
really important and can really save lives. I also really enjoyed the Medical Reserve Corps
meeting. I was very impressed with the amount of volunteers who are a part of the MRC, ranging
from nurses, to doctors, to public health workers. In a time where a disaster is not occurring, the
MRC is a small time commitment, with a couple of meetings and trainings a year, however I
learned how important it is that Southern Arizona has a MRC in case a disaster does ever occur
here. It was valuable, and as I start my nursing career, I would consider joining something like
this so that I can help out if a disaster ever does occur.
Would you recommend this specific community/professional experience in the future; why
or why not? (Describe)
I would recommend both experiences. I had a lot of fun volunteering with the Red Cross and felt
like I really made a difference, and the MRC was so welcoming to me and appreciated my time
to even learn about what it is. I really liked being out in the community and seeing what is
available for me to do as a nurse in addition to my career.
Brochure or proof of attendance obtained? Yes, my picture was at the event by the Red Cross.
There was not a brochure available at the MRC meeting. Signature on validation of clinical
hours form obtained? Yes, signature for both events is on my clinical hours form.