Before students in the nursing program walk across the stage and the bright lights to receive their hard-earned diplomas, they will all have had exposure to areas of the world that are not as bright and happy, where their tools and skills were appreciated and needed to help save lives.
The global health and human diversity course required for all nursing students, provides students an opportunity to learn more about the world around them, and helps them to understand the impact culture has on health.
For nursing students, this course is every spring term. It’s usually taken before their last semester, or their last full year in the program. The sites offered for 2012 are Ecuador, Finland, Ghana, India, Taiwan, and Tonga. For students wishing to stay in the U.S. either for family or financial obligations, there are sites in Utah County working with at-risk people, a site in Arizona working with Native Americans, a site in Salt Lake County working with refugees, and lastly sites within Utah and Washington D.C. working with veteran and rural populations.
Sheri Palmer, coordinator of international nursing, explained that even though there are local sites, it seems to be that most students want to go to a foreign location.
In fact, as Palmer explained, “80 percent of students do want to go abroad.”
However, with going abroad come more costs and sometimes a bit more sacrifice than staying in Utah or within the U.S.
Sarah Spitzer, 20, a nursing student, explains she wants to go to one of the foreign sites. After recently getting married, her decision has remained the same.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that I don’t want to miss,” Spitzer said.
Even though she would be away from her husband for a period of time, she believes what she would learn and gain from the experience would be worth the time being spent away.
McCall Christensen, 21, a nursing student, explained some of the sites in Utah have refugees from many different places around the world. She wants to be able to teach those people basic health practices to help them have a better life. They can then go back to their countries and help others as well.
“You don’t have to go globally to help with global health.” Christensen said. “In your own community there are so many problems.”
This is why she feels staying in Utah will be just as good of an experience for her. She believes she will be introduced to the same type of cultural diversity without having to travel too far.
For those nursing students who do wish to go abroad, some sites are very popular, and only a certain number of spots are available. Because of this, a computerized randomization process helps to pick students. Then, faculty can look over and review the list to see if the students selected for the given site make a good fit, Palmer explains.
Palmer explains that every student is different and has different needs, and that no matter where they go they’re going to have a fulfilling experience.
