We are happy to report the successful outcomes of the first BCCSON Global Health Initiative. This new project allowed 8 undergraduate students and 2 graduate students to provide nursing service and health education to residents of one of the poorest communities in Nicaragua. The students also taught lay health promotors, providing them with teaching materials that they assured us would be very helpful in their work. Our practice site was the Nueva Vida clinic in Ciudad Sandino, where many families live without water, electricity, or employment, and children are unable to attend school due to lack of school supplies or uniforms
The goals of this project are consistent with the philosophy of Boston College, a Jesuit university dedicated to service to humanity, It also meets the American Academy of Nursing’s mandate to promote broader opportunities for a global focus and more clinical experiences outside the United States.
An innovative aspect of this project is the participation of a faculty member who teaches Spanish language and Latin history. Dr. Kathy Lee worked with us all semester to promote language development and understanding of sociopolitical dynamics and she accompanied us to Nicaragua to assist with interpretation. Being immersed in Nicaragua and this additional language training has greatly improved the students’ cultural competence and ability to interact with similar patients here in the United States. We are delighted that Dr. Lee will again accompany us this year.
Another valuable aspect of the project is the collaboration with Augsburg College Center for Global Education (CGE). CGE coordinated the trip and provided safe lodging, meals, ground transportation, knowledgeable guides, and a well-organized experience. Through CGE, students not only learned about the health and political system, but participated in one of the most heartbreaking and memorable experiences: visiting the municipal dump where over 1200 adults and children live, work and die in an environment of burning trash. As we stood outside our bus, talking to people, all wondered, how do people live 24 hours a day in thick toxic smoke, soot and odor. It reconfirmed that humans can survive despite the worst of conditions, but a deep divide exists between survival and living with dignity and quality.
Students report that this experience has had a profound impact and has been professionally and personally life changing. It has fostered a desire to continue to work with the most vulnerable as well as instilling an interest in community nursing.
Sincerely,
Ronna E. Krozy, EdD, RN
Associate Professor
Joyce Pulcini, PhD, BCRN, RC, FAAN
Associate Professor
Kathy Lee, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor,
Spanish Language and Literature
Boston College Nursing Students:
Alexandra Brinkert, Meghan Crann, Sarah Eichenberger, Rachel Heron, Nicole Neibaur, Kristen Padulsky, Nora Sheehan, Courtney Smith, Jennifer Taylor