Meet Jasmine Tumewu, a 2021 BSN graduate working as the Clinic RN for the ‘Healthcare for the Homeless Mobile Team’ for CommUnity Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Austin. Along with this organization, Ms. Tumewu offers a specialized scope of services including care for those without health insurance.
Following graduation, she worked in the intensive care unit and intermediate care unit at Ascension Seton Medical Center for a year and a half. “Starting my nursing career during the surge of the COVID delta variant was difficult, however, working in the ICU notably revealed the discrepancies in our health care system and the effect it has had on our most vulnerable populations.” This poignant experience pushed Jasmine to pursue nursing away from the bedside. “Working with the ‘Healthcare for the Homeless’ team has allowed me to be a nurse not only in a clinical setting, but in a public health and policy setting as well.” Ms. Tumewu’s current job involves setting up mobile clinics in multiple locations around the city every week. These locations include: homeless camps, churches, shelters and more. “We meet our patients where they are at and help them navigate a system that often works against them.” In addition to organizing mobile clinics, Jasmine and her colleagues work with outside entities to provide opportunities to enhance care for their patients, whether that be through specialty care, housing, food stamps or access to transportation. Oftentimes, these are factors that play a major part in a patient’s access to health care and preventative care overall.
“This job has shown me that nursing is complex. It isn’t just about caring for a patient’s medical needs, but about seeing the patient with a holistic approach. A person’s health isn’t just determined by the physiological processes in their body, it is also affected by aspects of our society as a whole such as access to care, transportation, money or literacy. Nursing is about seeing all these needs as a whole and advocating for our patients when they are unable to do so themselves.”
Ms. Tumewu chose a career in nursing because she knew she wanted to be serving alongside patients during their most vulnerable moments. “The most rewarding aspect of my career has been forming relationships with my patients and knowing that I was a shoulder for them to lean on during a difficult time in their life. Nothing is more rewarding than hearing a patient express their gratitude for the help you have given them, no matter how big or small the task was.” In addition to these one-on-one encounters, Jasmine found that working with a diverse group of people and occupations was also rewarding. “I have learned so much from the medical assistants, nurse practitioners, PA’s and doctors that I have the honor to work with in serving this population. The passion and loving care the people I work with have shown in serving our unhoused community pushes me to be a better health care provider and a stronger advocate for my patients.”
We honor Jasmine Tumewu for exemplifying the Texas Nursing spirit by advocating for our vulnerable community members and for her commitment to ensuring health care access for all!