LAKELAND, Fla. (Oct. 2, 2006) —Ruth Clifford, RN, BSN, CCRN, a graduate student in Florida Southern College’s Master of Science Degree in Nursing, developed and presented a program entitled “Serving Your Heart” for 240 Polk County food service employees at their Professional Development Day and Health Fair. The event was held Sept. 16 on the Florida Southern campus.

Clifford became interested in employee health and wellness program development during her practicum with the Polk County School Board Wellness Program. She developed a presentation aimed at the silent symptoms of heart disease in mid-life women and focused her teaching on the food service employees throughout the county school system. Clifford is a clinical education specialist at Winter Haven Hospital, and she resides in Winter Haven, Fla.

Graduate students in the nursing program become actively involved in community health during their Adult Health in the Community clinical course, says FSC nursing professor Dr. Annette Kelly. “This important community outreach is one example of the community presence of our nursing graduate students.”

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 13:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors institutions and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.