Treating patients is incredibly important, but a large part of the problem is that the people in the rural Bolivian areas don’t know good, preventative health care practices. These basic practices make a huge difference in the health of the local people by stopping problems before they turn into life-threatening issues.”
- Dr. Susan Fletcher, professor, Chamberlain College of Nursing
Experience is often the best instructor in life. While Chamberlain College of Nursing students learn a lot of practical knowledge in the classroom and through textbooks, it is the interactive labs and clinical experiences that really demand students to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom to real-world scenarios.
From August 23- September 7, 2008, Dr. Susan Fletcher, MSN, EdD, a professor at Chamberlain College of Nursing, led eight students from the College’s St. Louis campus to rural Bolivia. Dr. Fletcher and the students traveled as part of a 70-person Helping Hands project—a group of nurses and doctors who annually dedicate two weeks of their time to help treat and educate residents of remote villages in various countries worldwide. The Chamberlain students were the only student nurses on the trip—all others were professional practicing nurses or certified doctors.
Dr. Fletcher and her team traveled to a number of remote villages during their trip, setting up a clinic early each morning. They’d wrap up their work at the clinic around 4 p,m. each day, at which point they would travel to the next village—by hand-crafted canoe, jeep, and sometimes by walking through the jungle, using machetes to clear a path for themselves.
In Bolivia, we were working with a stethoscope and, if we were lucky, a blood pressure cuff and a few other supplies. We learned how to treat people without using the technology we’re so accustomed to here. This experience will make me a better nurse because I’m better able to diagnose a patient based on what I practice.”
- Heather Bowling, BSN student, Chamberlain College of Nursing, St. Louis campus
In addition to treating a number of health problems, the team conducted health seminars on topics such as parasites, washing hands, breastfeeding and the importance of wearing flip-flops or shoes to prevent worms and parasites from entering cracks in their feet. Not only do the seminars help local people learn preventative care, but the students are also able to gain valuable public speaking practice , allowing them to better articulate health care issues and improve their patient-interaction skills.
International Nursing Service Projects such as this one are part of Chamberlain’s co-curricular learning model, which provides students with opportunities to expand their education through a full spectrum of social, cause-related and field experiences.
This alternative nursing experience takes the place of Chamberlain’s required Community Health Nursing course (NR-442) where the student can earn four credit hours after successful completion.