Our two Nurses of the Week are University of Pennsylvania nursing seniors Marcus Henderson and Ian McCurry who are working to transform the way the homeless community in Philadelphia receives health care. Both students are focused on using a community-oriented approach to health care to target shortcomings in the current health system.

Their project “Homeless Health and Nursing: Building Community Partnerships for a Healthier Future” was awarded the 2017 President’s Engagement Prize which includes $100,000 in funding. The senior students partnered with the Bethesda Project, a Philadelphia nonprofit working to reduce homelessness and provide more community-oriented health care by being proactive in addressing health disparities before these homeless individuals reach the emergency room.

Henderson and McCurry have both been caretakers in their young lives. In middle school, Henderson took care of his great aunt with Down syndrome and his grandmother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease after school each day. This led him to study public health in high school and eventually join Penn’s nursing program.

McCurry was inspired to become a nurse and caregiver by his veteran mom who he says taught him to look at communities through a nursing lens. As a teenager, he helped adults in his community with developmental disabilities and later worked as a counselor for them, leading him down a natural path to nursing.

Now, both senior nursing students are pursuing their passions and breaking stereotypes about male nurses. Many male nurses choose to go into military or administrative roles, but Henderson and McCurry plan to continue on their path to community nursing and breaking down barriers for marginalized community populations.

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To learn more about Henderson and McCurry and their passion project to revolutionize community healthcare for homeless individuals, visit here.

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