Through a summer internship sponsored by the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, nursing major Dang Nguyen, ‘26, worked as a public health and primary care nurse with Philadelphia’s vulnerable populations.
The internship experience culminated with a recognition ceremony where all 10 student interns in the summer cohort had the opportunity to present their research projects. Pictured from left: Associate Professor of Nursing Mindy Tait, Ph.D., MBA, CRNP, FNP-BC, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences Meredith Kneavel, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Nursing Deborah Byrne, Ph.D., RN, CNE, Dang Nguyen, ’26, and Professor Emerita Mary Wilby, Ph.D., MSN, CRNP, ANP-BC, R.N.
For 10 weeks this summer, La Salle University nursing major, Dang Nguyen, ‘26, had the opportunity to experience public health and primary care nursing at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center (SKWC) as part of an internship sponsored by the Independence Blue Cross Foundation.
He was one of 10 students from 10 schools selected for the internship, after he was invited to apply by Mindy Tait, Ph.D., MBA, CRNP, FNP-BC, an associate professor of nursing at La Salle. The interns were placed at different sites. SKWC, where he interned, is Project HOME’s comprehensive health services location. Project HOME is an organization that provides support and services to Philadelphia residents experiencing homelessness.
“I primarily worked with vulnerable populations, many of whom face challenges relating to housing, employment, and substance abuse,” he said. “In addition to participating in primary care appointments, I completed nursing specific tasks such as medication reconciliation, full-body assessments, injection administration, and patient outreach.”
SKWC also offers additional services, such as a Medications for Opioid Use Disorders (MOUD) Program, which inspired his intern research project, and support sessions for antepartum women. He also had the opportunity to shadow workers at two of Project HOME’s other facilities: Hub of Hope, an engagement center in Suburban Station, and Kairos House, one of the organization’s housing facilities.
“This internship gave me a deeper understanding of public health and primary care, and the reality of the nursing role in these areas,” he said. “It also heightened my awareness of the many non-clinical factors that can affect a person’s overall well-being—factors that, while not always directly nursing related, significantly influence the quality of care we provide.”
“My biggest takeaway is that remaining non-judgmental is essential for building trust between patients and the care team,” he said.
The future nurse was prepared for his time at SKWC thanks to his education at La Salle’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences, he said. During the internship, he used both the nursing practice knowledge he gained as well as more academic skills like research, on his final project.
The internship experience culminated with a recognition ceremony, where all the student interns in his cohort had the chance to come together and present the research projects they worked on. His project was titled Assessment of the Medication for Opioid Use Disorder and the Potential for Nurses in Supporting Patient Recovery at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center.
“Each student was also invited to the podium to share what they were most certain about after the internship. I spoke about the importance of establishing therapeutic trust between patients and nurses as a foundation for successful care,” he said. “I was also so honored that I had four nursing professors who came to the ceremony.”
One of the professors who was there to celebrate the Explorer’s accomplishments at the recognition ceremony was Tait.
“The best part of being a nurse educator is watching our student nurses grow professionally,” Tait said. “I have had the pleasure of teaching Dang in his sophomore year. He is a strong leader in the program and across campus. He will continue to be a role model in his final year in the program and can use this internship experience to continue to build his leadership skills.”
-Naomi Thomas
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