3 Credits

Upon completion of this course and its related  activities, the student will:

1. Describe how environmental, political and socio-economic issues (e.g. water, sewage disposal, mosquito control, and local economy) affect the health of a global population;(BSN-Program Objective-Core Knowledge)

2. Describe how health care delivery systems in community health centers in the U.S. compare with under-developed countries; (BSN-Program Objective-Core Competencies)

3. Discuss knowledge of the culture and language of an international community (cultural awareness); (BSN-Program Objective-Core Competencies)

4.Demonstrate skills to work within cultures different from one's own (cultural sensitivity); (BSN-Program Objective-Professional Values)

5. Demonstrate willingness and ability to provide nursing care to meet the needs of the community with whom one is visiting (service learning); (BSN-Program Objective-Core Competencies)

6. Demonstrate ways  to help empower the nurses in other countries (cultural brokership and leadership). (BSN-Program Objective-Role Development 1)

COURSE POLICES

Students must attend classes and complete assigned clinical duties. The course coordinators must approve any exception to this.  Students are responsible to meet immunization standards recommended by CDC, sponsoring organization, or the school prior to the international departure. Students are responsible for costs associated with meeting these standards.

Students should be familiar with basic preventive measures recommended for traveler's abroad. Students who should become ill or injured while at the international site are responsible for the costs of any required treatment, hospitilization, or transportation. Students with health insurance are responsible to check limits on insurance policy coverage.

Students will need to sign a release of indemnification before the field experiment.

Students will be responsible for the cost of their own airfare to and from the site of the clinical experience.  Ground transportation to the clinical site will be provided by the sponsoring organization. Room and meals will be provided by the sponsoring organization. Students are responsible for other expenses incurred (self-care items, purchases of local souvenirs).

TEACHING/LEARNING STRATEGIES

Strategies include seminar discussion, and supervised provision of primary health care in a cross-cultural setting.  The faculty of this course considers learning a mutual endeavor.  Our aim is to facilitate learning through modeling critical thinking and good clinical practice.  Throughout this course students are responsible for assessing their own learning and collaborating with faculty to meet their learning needs.  Faculty and students share responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of learning, according to course objectives, criteria and standards.  Classroom activities include didactic teaching  and group work.  A variety of resources are provided for students' learning.  The focus of the field practice is the continued development of nursing knowledge and skills through a short-term cultural immersion experience.

In the clinic, students are encouraged to wear scrub suits, or light cotton clothing with comfortable walking shoes (no sandals). Nametags must be worn.  Bring short and long sleeve T shirts to wear under scrub suits. 

Students will need to submit the name of nurse who will clinically guide them at the mission site.  Also a memorandum of agreement will need to be signed by the agency sponsoring the student.

Final presentation: Utilizing the collective information gathered from participating in this international health elective, including the self-evaluation, the student will present an analysis of the cultural immersion experience identifying areas of personal growth and key issues in the provision of culturally competent primary health care.  The presentation method may be an in class oral report, poster presentation, or paper presentation and should address how environmental, political and socio-economic issues affect the health of a global population, and how health care delivery systems in community health centers in the U.S. compare with under-developed countries.

Self Evaluation: Students will utilize a journal to self-evaluate their cultural immersion experience and clinical performance, specifically reflecting on ways the experience will help empower them in their role as nurses, and ways the experience may help them empower nurses in other countries.

Bloom, D.,& Canning, D. (2000).  The Health and Wealth of Nations, Science, 207, 1207-1209.

Campbell, H., & Gove S.,(1996).  Integrated management of childhood infections and malnutrition: A global initiative. Archives of Diseases of Children, 75, 468-71.

Centers for DIsease Control (n.d.) Health Information for International Travelers available online: http//www.cdc.gov/travel/

CIA Factbook, Country Specific Information available on http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/pubs.html

Germain, A. (2000). Population and reproductive health: Where do we go next? American Journal of Public Health, 90, 1845-1847.

Jones, G., Steketee, R.W., Black, R.E., Bhutta, Z.A., Morris, S.S.,& the Bellagio Child Survival Study Group. (2003). How many child deaths can we prevent this year?  Lancet, 362 (9377), 65-71.

Kravitz, J. (2001). What quality standards are appropriate for rural water supplies?  Pan American Journal of Public Health 9, 280-281.

Mutchnick, I.S., Moyer, C.A., & Stern, D.T. (2003).  Expanding the boundaries of medical education: Evidence for Cross-Cultural exchanges.  Academic Medicine; 78: S 1-5.

REQUIRED RESOURCES FOR GUATEMALA MEDICAL MISSION TRIP:

Becker, S., Fonseca-Becker, F., & Schenck-Yglesias, C.S. (2006). Husbands’ and wives’

reports of women’s decision making power in Western Guatemala and their effect on preventive health behaviors. Social Science & Medicine, 62, 2313-2326.

Bonder, B.R., Bazyk, S., Reilly, B., & Toyota, J. (2005). Women’s work in Guatemala. IOS

Press, 3-9.

Chickering, W.H. (2006). A guide for visiting clinicians to Guatemala: Common presenting symptoms & treatment. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 17, 190-197.

Coverston, C.R., Harmon, K.R., Keller, E.R., & Malner, A.A. (2004). A comparison of Guatemalan & USA nurses attitude towards nursing. International Council of Nurses, 51, 94-103.

Evanson, T. & Harmon, K.R. (2004). “Bittersweet knowledge: The long term effects of an international experience". Journal of Nursing Education, 45 (10), 412-419.

Mangum, S.S. (2001). Learning perioperative nursing in Guatemala. AORN, 74(5), 706-707, 709-711.

Vaughan, P. (1996). Finding the heart of medicine at the end of the road in Guatemala.

Canadian Medical Association Journal, 155 (12), 1733-1734.

Venable, H.D. (2005). Anesthesia on a medical mission to Guatemala. Plastic Surgical Nursing, 25(3), 129-132.

Walsh, L.V. & DeJoseph, J. (2003). “I saw it in a different light”: International learning experiences in baccalaureate nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 42 (6), 266-272.

REQUIRED RESOURCES TO MEXICO MEDICAL MISSION TRIP: 

Articles to be annouced on e-reserve.  Students will be notified by e-mail when articles have been posted to e-reserve.

I Course Orientation

  A. What is International Health?

  B. Health Care Delivery Systems in Latin America

  C. An Overview of the Clinical Site

  D. History, politics, and religions of the Host country

II Health Care Issues in Developing Countries

   A. WASH (Water and Sanitation Safety)

   B. HIV/STD's in the Developing World

   C. Dermatology in the Tropics

   D. Nutrition Assessment Tools/Intervention Strategies

   E.  Women's Health Issues in Developing Countries

   F. Cholera/Thyroid

   G. Mosquito Borne Diseases-Malaria/ Dengue Fever

   H. Diarrhea Diseases/Oral Rehydration Treatment

     I. Tuberculosis: A Public Health Perspective

    J. Immunizations and Traveler's Health

III  Women's Health Issues in Developing Countries

     A. Status of Women and Children in 3rd World

     B. Religious and Social Factors Impacting Women's Health Issues

     C. Family Planning and Prenatal Care.