umichnursingglobal

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We hope you will take advantage of the great MLK day programming @umichnursing and across campus today. https://www.instagram.com/p/CKMRTPBla0u/?igshid=1lyxf84lug3wp

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As this extraordinary year of the Nurse and Midwife draws to a close, we have profound gratitude for all you do.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2021.

From Dr. Jody Lori, Associate Dean of Global Affairs and the UMSN Office of Global Affairs Team

#happy holidays #global health

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Nursing students, are you interested in learning more about global health programs and/or education abroad opportunities? Let's schedule an appointment. #goglobal #globalnursing #umichnursing #goblue #umichwelcomeweek (at Ann Arbor, Michigan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEiUuDTnP6e/?igshid=1iw9qkz4uwahq

#goglobal #globalnursing #umichnursing #goblue #umichwelcomeweek

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Cultural Humility

Nathan Stefanovsky, BSN, RN, Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice Student

Attended UMSN Clinical Field Experience in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand (Fall 2019) 

Where ever you go, there you are. This is quote I once heard from a distance traveler, who found herself wondering how she got to be in the position she was in. She had been traveling to “find herself” but ironically was unable to do so. The circumstances leading up to this sort of comment are, however, not uncommon. For me, in my many travel experiences, I have found myself, but it was certainly not because I was looking for myself. Perhaps, it has been through the process of self-expIoration, curiosity, challenges, and/or indulgences that has led me to a point of understanding and clarity of what meaningful travel is. I have been fortunate to travel with family, friends, myself, and random strangers I met along the way.

Tha Ang Village, Thailand 

When observing others while traveling there is a sense of wonder of the purpose of peoples’ travel. Is it to create meaningful experiences in someone’s life or is it simply self-indulgent? In a way, when you travel, one must imagine you are an ambassador for your country. How would you want other people to perceive you if this was the case? I ponder how one can successfully travel and fully integrate into the setting that they are in. It is this idea of traveling with purpose, but to be fully cognizant of this purpose, while maintaining a level of cultural humility and respect for every person around you. Cultures are colorful, people are rich and vibrant, and I think it is safe to say that each person is their own culture. It’s as if there are currently 7.5 billion cultures! And this is what makes the world beautiful. If we respect this idea, there is so much to learn from each other. Traveling outside your comfort zone where the language, beliefs, customs, social structures, the way we perceive and understand the world, the people, and the cuisine are all unknown, and in some cases unnatural yet creates a sense of awe. Trying or experiencing something new you have never seen or done before builds those new neural connections to the possibility of what is and what can be.

Tha Ang Student Group

I believe global experiences work to foster a foundation of humility, openness, and acceptance of others. Of all the experiences in my life, each of my travel experiences have been the most unique and enriching. I have learned to become more patient and to welcome the uncertainty. I have had to learn an “anything goes” approach and that can be challenging for many. And this can be challenging for me especially at times when something is completely out of the scope of my experiences. Because of my adventurous spirit, I think about how to balance my self-interest while leaving something positive behind in global experiences (self-fulling vs. giving back to the communities).

Preschool Health Day 

There are always things to reflect on. Whether it is something recent that happened or something that happened ten years ago. Occasionally, I find myself having an “a-ha” moment as I think back to the ‘one time in that one country’. It is the moment where all the dots connect. My most recent trip to Thailand reignited a flame inside of me. On my first few excursions traveling to the Thailand, I was more in the “traveler-mode”. I made friends with the local people of the communities I stayed in and the relationships felt meaningful but temporary as I had to continue on my journey. Thailand at the time felt like it catered more to tourism, making it feel less “authentic” *. This is a challenge that comes with having limited time to travel and only being able to visit a few areas. I am a curious person and I value relationships with people and the world around me. Since then, I have invested a lot more time in learning about the cultural heritage of the places I visit. This includes their history, arts, cuisine, religion, and the natural environment, which all seem to shape various communities in different ways. While we stayed in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), I had the time to develop relationships with both the students and faculty and learn about life through their eyes. I was able to learn what their eyes see. This is something I missed on my first few go-arounds. These relationships are a vital component to allowing yourself to be best person you can be, while increasing cultural awareness. During previous travels, I may not have been looking in the right place, skewed from my own faculties of something that was right in front of me. I believe that one cannot fully integrate his/herself into a new place unless they let go of their comforts of home that may be customary to them in their home country. They have to embrace the fear of uncertainty and take a step into the unknown. For this experience, Thailand and the people I met will always hold a place in my soul. It is these experiences I live for and grow from and I hope that this idea can be reciprocated.

Happy Thai

For future travel experiences, understanding and learning about a country, whether it is the geography, the cuisine, the history or even the weather, will allow for a better integration. For people who have never traveled before, a new place that is outside their normal conveniences of life can be overwhelming. It can be sensory overload leaving these people confused and distraught because of the lack of coping skills. On the other hand, it is important to debrief, since everyone’s experiences and reason to go traveling to another place are different. There are always challenging experiences and amazing experiences. It is important to be able to discuss these events, so you are not stuck on a mental island, trying to understand how you have grown based only on your life experiences. Most importantly, learning how to travel, not as a tourist, but as someone with a level of cultural humility and awareness, only makes the experience richer, while preserving your image in that society and respecting the people you interact with.

Tha Ang Community Visits

*When I think of this word, I think of an idea that I am a guest in someone’s home, and I should be cognizant of this and act accordingly (i.e. being respectful). If I do this, then hopefully the opposite party will reciprocate as if they are the host. This establishes a relationship to learn and grow with each other. This was the relationship I had experienced in other countries in Southeast Asia and Indonesia, but I didn’t feel this as much in Thailand until I got farther north due to the proximity of tourism in the central and southern regions of Thailand.

#global health #global citizen #cultural humility #global nursing #thailand

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Community Public Health in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Sam Labadie, BSN 2021 

In May of 2019 I was fortunate enough to participate in a study abroad experience to Thailand. This trip was completed through the University’s Center for Global & International Studies and therefore we had quite a diverse group with students from many different disciplines, from education to economics. Together, we embarked on a three-week journey studying the Thai culture and language, and the public health issues surrounding both Khon Kaen and rural regions outside of the city center. 

We visited a rural community and the local health center that they utilized and we were even allowed to go in the Mother/Baby unit to see the infants and their mothers! In Thai culture it is disrespectful to leave your shoes on when entering a home or temple, and this was enforced in the Mother/Baby unit as well. 

We learned more about holistic practices that the health professionals used such as massage and reflexology. We were taught that foot reflexology involves pressure applied to certain areas of the feet, and each area is connected to different organs of the body, in turn this allows for relief or healing of a wide array of health problems. For example, if a patient has a problem involving their pituitary gland, a health professional will press on the bottom of their big toe. 

We stayed overnight in a rural community in several community members’ homes. We ate meals that they prepared for us, which were all delicious, and each morning we would venture next door to the neighbor’s house to buy bubble tea that she made! During the days, a community member took us to numerous houses in the village where ill community members resided. We were educated on their struggles with their health conditions, including the major issue of access to healthcare and a lack of transportation to the local health center. The community leaders told us about pertinent health issues they were facing such as diabetes, liver fluke, and cancer and as students we created presentations on these health problems. We visited the school in the village and stayed for a day to experience a day in the life of a Thai student in a rural area. 

We also were able to take part in a cooking class and we used ingredients that we bartered for at the local market to practice our Thai. This was a highlight of the trip for me because the food in Thailand is so delicious and learning how to create it ourselves was exciting. 

Overall, we all had a great time in “The Land of Smiles” and were very sad to leave after the program ended; however, we had created many memories that we now look back on fondly. I am so grateful to have had this experience alongside great friends and colleagues and hope to return to Thailand someday to polish up on my Thai, eat incredible food, and visit the village again. 

#thailand #globalnursing #global health #umich #community health #studyabroad

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NAKHON RACHASIMA, THAILAND

Alexis Green (DNP student)

#global nursing #thailand #Umich

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Global and Community Nursing in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Our cohort at the Khon Kaen University International Learning Center

Jean Ansley Ang, BSN 2020 

UMSN Global and Community Nursing, Khon Kaen, Thailand

In June of 2019, I had the amazing opportunity to study global and community nursing in Khon Kaen, Thailand for 3 weeks. Throughout the three weeks, I was able to learn about the Thai healthcare system at the public, private, and rural community levels as well as prevalent health problems specific to the region. These 3 weeks were so educational and further solidified my interest in global health and my love for traveling! 

Throughout the three weeks, we stayed in dorms at Khon Kaen University, each of us staying with a Thai roommate to help us acclimate to being in Thailand! It was very helpful to see Khon Kaen through the eyes of a local who was similar to our age, and we found a lot of us shared many things in common. It was a great way to learn about each others’ cultures through the eyes of a fellow university student! 

In addition to taking Thai language and culture classes, we attended lectures about healthcare and prominent health problems in Thailand. One lecture that I found particularly interesting was about liver flukes. Liver flukes are parasites that live in the liver and bile ducts of their hosts, and they can eventually cause liver cancer due to their harmful effects on the body. Liver flukes are contracted by eating undercooked fish. We learned that their prevalence is high in Thailand because of popular dishes that involve fermented fish. If the fish does not ferment properly, a person could contract the parasite.

Visiting the Khon Kaen University Nursing Simulation Lab

We were also fortunate to spend a lot of time in the clinical setting, observing and speaking with nurses in varying specialties such as labor and delivery, cardiovascular, pediatrics, psychiatric, surgical intensive care, and something specific to areas with large Buddhist populations, which are designated floors for monk patients. The designated monk unit has all male workers because women are not allowed to touch monks, unless in a case of emergency to save the monk’s life, such as in a motor vehicle crash or in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting. 

Scrubbing into the Cardiac Cath Lab

Our cohort with labor and delivery nurses

In addition to observing in the clinical setting, we were also able to see many of Thailand’s beautiful wonders, including the ruins of Phimai, a large ancient temple, and the Mekong River which borders Thailand and Laos. We stayed with a local family for one weekend in a rural village to learn about community healthcare workers, and we ate so many amazing foods! 

Our group visiting the ruins at Phimai

Our host family and Thai pillows they gifted us!

The view from our hotel, overlooking the Mekong river and Laos on the other side of it!

A temple we visited during our stay with the host families.

This trip was an amazing way to explore another country and learn about global health first-hand. I learned so much about not only healthcare and nursing, but about Thai culture as well. I am so grateful for everyone who made this trip an educational and fun experience, and I look forward to continue exploring global health nursing!

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Graduate Study Abroad in Thailand

Kristiana Hila (BSN, RN)

Travel abroad is quite the humbling experience. It allows you to step outside of your comfort zone and experience the world in a completely different way than what you are used to. There is a lot of beauty in this, as it allows you to see the world through a different pair of eyes, shoes, and lived experiences. Not only does it allow you this alternate view, but it makes you more aware of your own biases, thoughts, and feelings that you may not have known existed. To travel is to immerse yourselves in moments that can be frightening, exciting, and enlightening, but nonetheless worthwhile.

           My travels to Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand did just this for me. They allowed me to humble myself, by further realizing and experiencing the beauty that lies in other cultures, and the values that can be learned. While in Thailand, we were greeted by nursing students at the Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) with open arms and bright smiles. With the SUT nursing students, we had the opportunity to teach them health assessment techniques and procedures. This was an amazing experience because I remember being a nursing student and looking up to those who had already gone through the program. It was nice to give back to nursing students and teach them the knowledge that I have obtained so far. In addition to seeing the pure joy and excitement they hold for our profession in their eyes.

           We were fortunate enough to spend the duration of our trip on the university campus. This proved to be so amazing, as it felt as if we were part of the campus life. During our time on campus, we immersed ourselves in the diverse foods, events and rich atmosphere of the culture. If you ever think of going to Thailand, make sure to come hungry because the plethora of market foods will come to satisfy your appetite, and enlighten your taste buds in ways you would not have imagined. Thai spicy is truly a thing, and you might want to have an extra glass of water nearby, or else you’ll find yourself sweating.

           The remainder of our trip was spent in the district of Chok Chai, in the village of Dan Kwian. We had the opportunity to work alongside nurse practitioners and other various healthcare professionals to provide care for the members of the local community in the clinic. There were many different days at the clinic, which consisted of diabetes, hypertension, antepartum care, and non-communicable disease day. In the clinic setting we had the opportunity to see a variety of illnesses, many of which stemmed from the impacts of lifestyle trends in the area.

           Furthermore, we completed community assessments, going door to door to assess the individuals of the village. By doing so, we were able to complete a needs assessment survey, and provide them with the needed supplies as capable. Many of the individuals of the local community suffered from musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory issues as a result of their occupational status. Pottery was a very important part of their lives and a crucial source of income, but as you can imagine working with clay comes with its health-related consequences. I must say, some of these clay sculptures were some of the most beautiful, if not THE most beautiful I have ever seen. These community assessment findings were then presented to the Ministry of Health by the SUT nursing students at a community forum meeting in hopes of aiding in positive changes that the community necessitated.

           I believe that my greatest strengths were my abilities to maintain cultural humility and understanding of diversity as I encountered many different patients on a daily basis. In addition, my ability to work collaboratively and professionally with various healthcare professionals allowed me to carry out the most effective and beneficial patient care. I have attached some photos from my experience below. I hope you are able to see the happiness and sunshine filled days radiate from the photos, and to sense a part of the experience vicariously.

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Community Health in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Julia Bruno, BSN 2020

This past June of 2019, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Khon Kaen, Thailand with the School of Nursing to study Community Health in a global context.  We were lucky enough to be immersed in the culture via cultural and historical sites, an overnight stay with community members, and visits to various clinical settings.

Wat Nong Wang

Phimai Historical Park

Chiang Khan River Tour

Our fantastic host family and the pillows they made us

Something that was particularly special was getting to visit a variety of clinical settings that we do not often get to see in America.  A couple that were particularly interesting were the Monk Unit, the Postpartum Unit, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

The Monk unit was incredibly interesting to learn about and visit since it is very unique to the culture and unlike most units we visited.  The unit consisted entirely of Monk patients, and because Monks are not allowed to touch women, the staff was entirely men as well.  The unit itself was ornate, with Religion incorporated into all aspects of care.  Buddha was represented both in decoration, but also in a meditation room that was created to allow the Monks to pray and meditate as necessary and desired.  We discussed with our Ajans (teachers) that these units are particularly special because they receive so many donations from the community for food, as Monks must be provided food and water, they cannot feed themselves, and renovations on the unit.  As a result, the area was air-conditioned unlike much of the hospital, and beautifully decorated.

The Postpartum unit was especially fascinating, since as a Senior, I have completed my postpartum clinical at the University Hospital.  It was a great opportunity to compare how the care of mothers and babies is both similar and different in the two cultures.  For instance, in Thailand, the postpartum unit is one large floor with multiple open bays where the mothers lie with their babies either in a bed next to them or they sleep together in the same bed.  We discussed how this can be a good opportunity for new mothers to meet other moms and bond with them.

Finally, the PICU was a very special experience, since it is an area of nursing that I am particularly interested in.  The nurses were so kind to walk through each of the patients with us and discuss their diagnosis, histories and their plans of care and we had valuable time where we were able to ask them questions about the PICU and their careers at the end of the visit.  

The trip was an incredible opportunity to learn so much about not only the Thai Culture, but nursing and clinical practice as well.  Hearing the Thai nurses’ valuable knowledge and experiences was both inspiring and empowering and we were all so grateful for how welcoming they were for letting us experience a small piece of their profession with them.  The knowledge that I gained from these experiences is something that I have taken back with me to my current clinicals, and that I know I will continue to utilize in my future nursing career.

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My Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark: Summer 2019 Amanda Jacobs, Class of 2020

In Summer 2019 I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Copenhagen, Denmark to complete my OB nursing clinical by studying alongside Danish midwives for a month.

With nine other nursing students and 2 wonderful midwives, we were able to learn from the more natural approach to caring for women in labor.

Over the month we spent in Denmark we attended class on Danish culture and healthcare, spent about 62 hours one-on-one with midwives, and spent classes reflecting on our clinicals and learning midwifery techniques such as Reboso and assessing the placenta.

Reboso is a technique of using a Reboso scarf around the pelvis to create movement that accelerates a slow birth, and can help to alleviate labor pains. We learned about this technique at Roskilde hospital and practiced on each other.

In our time in Copenhagen we even made it on the news! At Hillerod hospital, there was a piece done on us in the Danish news and our own Bailey Forde and Gabriella Miles were interviewed for the story.

We spent a day learning about home births, and saw a beautiful clinic designed for natural, home-like births, furnished with comfy, calming decor and hydraulic tubs for water births. 

During clinicals we wore midwifery uniforms of either all white slacks and shirt, or a white dress. Most midwives wore Birkenstock sandals instead of the clogs that we are used to seeing in the hospital.

We also had the privilege to explore the beautiful city of Copenhagen, from gardens and parks to castles and museums.

I climbed to the top of the “spire,” the tallest building in the city and a historical church and tourist attraction. I could see Sweden from the top!  

There were so many canals in the city, and the weather was wonderful for the whole month of our stay, so many of us took the opportunity to relax along the water, and even spent a day at the beach. 

The royal castle of Christiansborg was a beautiful sight to see, with ruins of the original castle and the current stables of the royal team of horses.

Even more magnificent was the castle at Kronborg, visible from the top floors of Hillerod hospital. There were moats, acres of gardens, and fountains that were hidden treasures behind the palace.

In Roskilde we visited a famous cathedral and were treated to a guided tour by out Danish instructor’s husband.

I also took a day trip to the sister cities of Helsingor (the setting of Hamlet) and Helsingborg, Sweden, connected by a ferry that crosses the narrowest part of the Oresund Straight.

We also got to see some of the country’s history, including a tour of the medical museum and a display of an old pharmacy.

Though I traveled so much in the month I spent in Copenhagen, one of the most special moments was when I was paired with a midwife in the hospital assisting a young woman through labor, and I got to deliver her baby. Due to privacy there are no pictures to go with this memory but it was such a big part of my clinical in Copenhagen, and it is something I will always remember about this trip.

#copenhagen #denmark #midwifery #global health #global nursing

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Nursing in London

Rebecca L. Barrie, Junior BSN Student 

This past June, I had the extraordinary privilege of joining the MSU’s study abroad program aptly named “Nursing in London”. Being a proud Wolverine, I was nervous to embark on a journey across the pond with a bunch of Spartans; however, our journey together brought me a month’s worth of unforgettable memories and nine new best friends (or should I say, “best mates”!).

So, what did we do? The better question is: what didn’t we do?

At our orientation before the program started, we were told that we would learn all about the history of nursing/healthcare and the life of the world’s most famous nurse, Florence Nightingale. And boy, did we do that and so much more! For example…

We tamed the lions in Trafalgar Square.

We looked down on our beautiful city from the London Eye.

We held our breath as we spent the day in Eyam (famously known as the “Plague Town” because the townspeople had isolated themselves from the surrounding villages when they contracted the Black Plague in 1665). I washed my hands more than a few times that day!

We even stood 100 yards away from the entire Royal Family at Buckingham Palace during the Queen’s Trooping of the Colour ceremony. Definitely the coolest moment of my life.

We lived in a flat (British for an “apartment”) that was a two-minute walk from Freddy Mercury’s last residence. Being a huge classic rock fan, that was the Queen I was most excited for.

We marveled as we walked down the halls of the Queen’s residence, Windsor Castle. MTV Cribs wish they could tour a place like this!

We visited St. Thomas’s Hospital, the workplace of our beloved Florence, and saw just a few of the original Nightingale Nursing School pins.

We roleplayed a surgery in Europe’s oldest operating theater. Looks safe and sanitary, right?

We stumbled upon what would be my favorite spot in all of London: Borough Market. Who ever said that the Brits don’t have good food never had a chorizo sandwich or a strawberry crème doughnut from here!

We paid our respects to Florence Nightingale at her burial site and then toured her childhood home in Embely Park. Despite her wealthy upbringing (I mean, do you see the size of that house?), Nightingale remained a humble public servant her whole life and declined a burial at Westminster Abbey, per Queen Victoria’s request, to be buried at her childhood church with only the initials F.N. on her tombstone. After uncovering the truth behind the “Lady with the Lamp” this trip, it seems nursing isn’t the only thing we can learn from Florence Nightingale.

We explored Stonehenge and, let me tell you, it totally rocked!

We entered the lab where one of history’s most revolutionary events took place: Alexander Fleming’s (accidental) discovery of Penicillin.

We walked around Kensington Palace, where we stopped for a spot of afternoon tea and to pet Kate and William’s dog.

We came together at Abbey Road for my absolutely favorite picture of the entire trip.

And after a month of mind-blowing museums and exception excursions, we regretfully said too-da-loo to our home at 16 Longridge Rd.

Now, I wish I could fit 300 more pictures in this post just to show you truly how much this trip has changed me and changed the way I view the world; but I can’t, so I guess you’ll just have to make the journey for yourself to see what I mean! Cheers!

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Interested in studying abroad in India? Salokaya Program is still accepting applications, through December 15! More information here: Nursing, Health, and Society in New Delhi, India  

U-M President Mark Schlissel participated in the lamp lighting ceremony at Salokaya School of Nursing.

The lamp lighting ceremony at Salokaya is a solemn occasion for the students entering the nursing profession as they take the Nurses pledge on this day along with lighting a candle in remembrance of Florence Nightingale.

The lamp is an international nurse symbol that is widely known to symbolize Florence Nightingale and her transforming work in the nursing profession.

As the teachers lit the lamps for the graduating students at Salokaya, they shared the lights with each other and took the pledge to serve.

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My Abroad Experience in London, England

Kathy Sliwinski, BSN 2021

HSSP UK Program, Summer 2019

Overall, I learned a whole lot while spending 3 weeks in London for this study abroad trip. The focus of this trip was to compare the healthcare system in the United Kingdom, to the healthcare system we have here in the United States. Something that interested me the most (unsurprisingly since I’m a nursing student), was comparing the role of the nurse in the UK vs. here in the U.S. 

Here are some of the many interesting things I learned/did while on my trip: 

1. Florence Nightingale opened the first professional school of nursing in London, changing the way nurses were trained and educated (more formalized). We went to the museum that is dedicated to her life and the impact she made on the nursing profession as a whole. 

2. To work as a qualified nurse in the United Kingdom, you need a degree in nursing and you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Nursing students are required to choose one of the four nursing specialties (adult, children, mental health, or learning disability) that they will study. They can only practice in this particular field that they choose. These programs are MUCH cheaper than in the U.S.

3. We got to visit Oxford and Cambridge. Besides the absolute beauty of both college towns, seriously, it was like something out of a Harry Potter book, we learned that penicillin was discovered at Oxford in the 20th century.

4. We got to visit the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which is a public research university that focuses on public health and tropical medicine. 

5. We did a variety of walking tours. One of the walking tours focused on the history of the royal family and their contribution to health care/health policy in London.

6. We also got to visit the British Museum where we saw artifacts such as the Rosetta stone, as well as ancient medical equipment and compare it to the modern technology we have today.

7. An interesting fact I learned was that nurses get paid MUCH less in England than in the United States (Less than half!)

8. One of the concerns I had before going abroad was being in such a large group, and figuring out how to still be able to see or do things that I personally wanted. Due to the fact that London has such an incredible, easy to use  transportation system, I was able to go and see things I personally wanted alone by using the train system (also known as the “Tube”).

9. Some of the things we did for fun and to explore the culture is eating fish and chips, seeing the Phantom of the Opera and Mamma Mia! on West End (the Broadway of London) and visiting the many art museums across the city.

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Nursing Blogs:

Would you like to blog about your experiences abroad? Apply to become a global nursing blogger: https://forms.gle/sfkbWWfyePdM8k1A9

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Lessons I Have Learned From Study Abroad

Joyce Lee, BSN 2021

UMSN India Program, 2018

I strongly urge everyone that wants to study abroad to GO! I am grateful for the instructors that were constantly with us and made sure we were safe. I am also grateful for the bus driver and tour guide that made us laugh during long traffic jams. I am thankful for the hospitality that the Salokaya nursing students had to make us feel at home. 

During this trip I have learned a lot like…

Increased global self-awareness

New perspectives on the country’s culture

Identified levels of prevention to educate public

Learned about environmental impacts and health policies

Challenged barriers to the delivery of healthcare systems

Engaged with healthcare professionals

This is just the beginning of my global travels because I want to focus on global health for my career. I am excited to see what journey I will go on next.

For technical advice I would recommend to…

Be on top of scholarship applications (Funding Resources). 

Double and triple check everything including packing list, plane tickets, and itinerary.

Budget wisely. Plan out what you want to bring back. 

For those that want to study abroad my advice is to have an open mind and be willing to learn because there are still so many thing you don’t know about especially when visiting a new place.

One Word Game

Everyday we would debrief and play the One Word Game where each person would summarize the clinical day with one word. 

The Result:

#JoyceLeeIndia2018LessonsLearned

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5 Health Tips While Studying Abroad

1) Hydration is key. 

Especially in the summer where it can reach 100 degree Fahrenheit! Many times I felt dehydrated or felt sick during the trip. To stay hydrated drink at least five water bottles an hour.

2) Do not be embarrassed when you are not feeling well.

Many people do not realize that our bodies need to accumulate to a new environments. For example,  if you have traveler’s diarrhea do not worry; it is common. Therefore, please talk to your instructors who can help you get the right treatment and medications.

3) Drink only bottled water and eat only cooked foods.

It is important to try new foods but please make sure it is cooked. Avoiding street food is smart. Do not drink tap water only bottled water. If you are unsure please ask your instructors.

4) Take Breaks and Do Not Push Yourself.

It is very exciting to explore a new city with your friends and peers. The world seems like your oyster, but be aware that your body has a limit and you will get tired. Please take mini breaks and do not wear yourself out.

5) Mosquitos are a huge deal.

Please take your malaria pills completely. That is the first thing you can do to protect yourself. Personally for me I bought the mosquitos repellent bracelet and barely got bitten. I also put a layer of bug repellent to ward off the bug. To add the cherry on top, I brought along an electric bug swatter for the hotel.

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Reflections of my studying abroad in New Delhi, India.

Joyce Lee, BSN 2021

UMSN India Program, 2018

Last summer, I spent an intense three weeks studying abroad in New Delhi, India. I went with a team of nursing and pre-health UofM students, partnering up with UMSN sister school in India, Salokaya. The overarching focus was comparing the health care practices from the U.S. as it may differ from a cultural perspective. In order to gain the health care perspective it is important to fully understand the history and art of India. Therefore, the first week the team went on a cultural tour to the golden triangle (Delhi, Agra and Jaipur). We were able to travel by elephant, camel, and rickshaw during the tours which made it more adventurous. My favorite tour had to be the Taj Mahal, the symbol of love. The architecture had perfect symmetry and the monument had rich history. Additionally, we got to feast and try different spices. For the rest of the two weeks we got paired up with Salokaya’s nursing students from India and went to their clinical rotations and attended the community health class. We were fortunate to meet health care professionals that help shape the health system in India and listen their future goal for India. Our objective was to experience five different types of healthcare settings (government, public, private, rural community health, and clinics). From our clinicals we got to see newborn vaccinations in the rural villages, motorcycle accidents, dialysis, and oncology services. These were just some of the units we got to observe but my favorite unit was the labor and delivery floor because of the fast paced environment and joy to help wash and weigh the babies. That experience sparked my interest in women’s health. What stuck to me was when the Salokaya nursing student said in this unit you have the opportunity to save two lives. 

However, there were many challenges that came with going abroad in a different country. Specifically for India I was surprised by the…

What particularly stood out to me on the streets of India was the different transportation and road systems. There are no lanes in India; there is a lot of look out for like motorcycles that have more than three passengers, cows that roam the streets, and other vehicles that are rushing to get to their destination.

Have a plan to wash your clothes because washing machines are not always available. For our group we used the shower tub at our hotel to wash and dry our clothes.

I realized that the bathroom concept that I am used to is not a universal concept, and different cultures have different bathroom habits Look up “squatting pan” type bathrooms and evaluate your consumption/disposal habits of hygiene products. For ladies… please carry around a plastic bag for your hygiene products.

Finally, be flexible with the schedule, traveling, and traffic.

Thank you again India and Salokaya for your hospitality.