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Ruth White received her nursing degree from University of Omaha and her Nurse Practioner degree from University of Washington in Seattle. She is the Director of Health Services at Grand View University. When she’s not taking care of the students, she enjoys hiking, running, and cooking with her husband and three kids.

White took some time out of her day to answer some common and potentially embarrassing questions

students might ask.

Q: What kind of services does you provide?

A: ”We provide most services. We see people for sick visits, colds, flu, mono, STD checks, women’s health exams, and physicals. We don’t have an X-Ray machine and I don’t stitch.”

Q: When I’m not feeling well, how do I know when to see a doctor and how do I know when to just stick it out?

A: “It depends on your symptoms. If you’re having a fever that’s lasting more than three days, if your fever is really high (103 or above), if you’re having severe abdominal pain, if you are having trouble urinating, if your throat is really sore and you don’t have any congestion but you maybe you have a fever, those are the main reasons you should come see us. Or if your symptoms are extreme, you need to be seen.

Q: How often should I be checked out for STI’s?

A: “Technically any time you have a new partner you should be checked out, or when you’re thinking about having a new partner. Hopefully you aren’t changing partners too frequently, but this is a college campus, and I don’t have my head in the hole. Still, if you want to make sure you’re not spreading an STD or haven’t gotten an STD you do need to get checked every time you get a new partner. We just provide gonorrhea and chlamydia testing here, Polk County Health Department checks for HIV and Syphilis. Women get their HPV tests through pap smears.”

Q: How “regular” should I be? How often should I be having bowel movements?

A: Everyone is different. Some people will have one every day, some every three days. If you are feeling full, if you feel like you’re stomach is bloated or your feeling uncomfortable, that’s a sign you need to have a bowel movement. If you have a high fiber diet, that’s going to be the best way to make sure you’re having a bowel movement schedule that’s most normal for you.

Q: What questions should I ask a potential sex partner?

A: It’s always good to ask if they’ve had an STD, and be honest if you have as well. Asking someone if they’ve had a test since their last partner. If you’re having intercourse with someone who isn’t a virgin, and hasn’t had a test since their last partner, you’re putting yourself at risk. The more honest you are with someone, the more honest they are going to be with you.

Q: What should I be looking for in exercise supplements?

A: “I’m not so big on exercise supplements, particularly weight loss pills. I haven’t met one I like. They usually have caffeine or some kind of additive in them that increases metabolism, which sounds like a good idea because you burn calories more rapidly, but that effects your gall bladder, it effects your heart, and your body just isn’t meant to lose weight that way.”

Q: How do I know that the information I share with you is confidential?

A: “We keep our room locked where we have our charts. We don’t allow other people to look at the charts unless they have a release of information form signed by the student. Parents sometimes want to know what’s happening with their kids, but we don’t disclose private information. Even with kids who are seventeen, we don’t tell them anything. If it’s a life or death issue we probably would if they were underage.”

Q: How do I know when to be concerned about a breast lump?

A: “We get a lot of breast lumps, surprisingly for the age, but I think this is the age where women start checking their breasts. If you feel a lump, you should have it seen. I will say that the majority of the lumps I check are benign, but I do send them off if I think it’s concerning.”

Q: How do you deal with a patient that is experiencing an unexpected pregnancy?

A: “First we see if they’re happy about it, but we go through their options. Talk to them about their support networks here, if they have family or friends that can help them go through this. We suggest getting involved with counseling and we’ll refer them to various antepartum clinics. It’s a big word, it means ‘while you’re pregnant.’ Methodist has a lot of midwives that deal with younger pregnancies.”

Q: Is alcohol consumption going to interfere with my ADHD medicine?

A: “Yes. Psychiatric meds and alcohol are really not a good combination. People can get lethally hurt from that.”

Q: What parting advice do you want to give students?

A: “I see kids who come in and they’re trying to find friends, and sometimes they aren’t as safe as they should be when they’re at their parties. Date rape drugs are a really big problem in general on college campuses. So never go to a party by yourself, you want someone there looking out for you. When you are getting a drink, you always want to cover the top of it with your hand. If someone offers to get you a drink, make sure it’s not open when it arrives. If it’s a screw top it should not be open.”

 

The Grand View University Student Health Clinic is located in the Johnson Wellness Center and is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., and Tuesday and Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.