Contact: Sean McCarthy  
MSLGROUP
For Chamberlain College of Nursing
(312) 861-5276 (732) 509-4600 x2873

sean.mccarthy@mslgroup.com

Contact: Nicole Pride
Communications Manager
Ross University
(732) 509-4600 x2873
npride@RossU.edu

Thousands of Kenyans Receive Aid Provided by Nursing and Medical Students
Chamberlain College of Nursing and Ross University School of Medicine
students and faculty team up for the Interprofessional Global Healthcare Project

Downers Grove, Ill. — June 21, 2011 — The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has called for an increase in the collaboration between nurses and physicians in an effort to advance patient care and ensure the highest level of safety. Chamberlain College of Nursing and Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), both part of DeVry Inc., responded to this call for action and established the Interprofessional Global Healthcare Project (IGHP), a joint initiative that enables nursing and medical students from each school to provide healthcare services and education to impoverished communities. Students and faculty recently conducted their first global project in Nairobi, Kenya.

In coordination with the nonprofit organization Family Hope International, nursing and medical students, under Chamberlain and RUSM faculty supervision, engaged in highly intensive hands-on training to develop stronger critical thinking and clinical assessment skills as well as enhanced understanding of cultural differences. Visiting three separate poverty-stricken villages in Nairobi within two weeks, the IGHP team worked 12-hour shifts in clinics visited by nearly 200 patients per day.

“Through the IGHP immersion experience, Chamberlain and RUSM students acquired valuable healthcare skills and competencies and learned how to more effectively integrate the training inherent in medicine and nursing,” said Susan Fletcher, EdD, MSN, BSN, professor at Chamberlain’s St. Louis campus and head of its international service trips. “Our students also deepened their appreciation for cultural differences and gained first-hand insight into the increased need for global healthcare.”

Collaborating to Provide Care
In addition to working together to treat illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis, Chamberlain’s nursing students and RUSM’s medical students conducted seminars for the village on preventative care topics including hand-washing, breastfeeding, parasites and basic household safety. The students educated village healthcare practitioners in an effort to share expertise and best practices while also gaining valuable public speaking experience, learning how to better articulate healthcare issues and improving their patient-interaction skills.

“The IGHP truly enhanced my community health nursing skills and expanded my knowledge base in an area far outside of the classroom and hospital while also giving me the opportunity to find common ground with another culture,” said Donald Brezevar, a Chamberlain nursing student who participated in the IGHP.

“Since creating a sustainable method of healthcare was one of the IGHP goals,” added Memona Tazamal, a RUSM student, “it was humbling to see how receptive the local healthcare practitioners were to our health seminars and how excited they were to share our knowledge with their families and tribes.”

Strategic Partnership for Medicine and Nursing
Dr. Fletcher was accompanied by Mary Coleman, MD, PhD, special advisor to the president of Ross University, who also helped to lead the IGHP. Drs. Fletcher and Coleman’s primary goals were to provide healthcare and health promotional strategies to as many Kenyans as possible and – equally as important – to bring together the training and practice of medicine and nursing to advance patient care.

“Ross and Chamberlain are heeding the IOM’s call by teaching students the importance of interprofessional collaboration between physicians and nurses. Collaborating not only improves patient safety and satisfaction, but overall patient outcomes as well,” said Dr. Coleman. “We look forward to continuing our joint initiative with Chamberlain’s nursing faculty and students as we explore additional ideas to provide interprofessional learning opportunities for our students both nationally and abroad.”

This is the first Interprofessional Global Healthcare Project between Chamberlain College of Nursing and Ross University School of Medicine. To learn more about Chamberlain or RUSM’s global healthcare projects, visit www.chamberlain.edu/serviceproject or www.rossu.edu/medical-school/RUSM-Dean.
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About Chamberlain College of Nursing
Chamberlain College of Nursing offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in nursing. Campuses are currently located in Phoenix, Arizona; Jacksonville and Miramar, Florida; Addison and Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and Arlington, Virginia.

Chamberlain College of Nursing is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, ncahlc.org. HLC is one of the six regional agencies that accredit U.S. colleges and universities at the institutional level. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at the Addison, Arlington, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Jacksonville, Phoenix and St. Louis campuses and the Master of Science in Nursing degree program are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202.887.6791). The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at the St. Louis and Columbus campuses and the Associate Degree in Nursing program are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs at the Phoenix and the Addison campuses are candidates for accreditation by NLNAC. Candidacy is the first step toward NLNAC accreditation. (NLNAC, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, 404.975.5000). Accreditation provides assurance to the public and to prospective students that standards of quality have been met.
Chamberlain College of Nursing 2450 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202 is certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, 101 N. 14th Street, 10th Floor, James Monroe Building, Richmond, VA 23219, 804.225.2600. Chamberlain College of Nursing has provisional approval from the Virginia Board of Nursing, Perimeter Center, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico, VA 23233-1463, 804.367.4515.

Program availability varies by location. Chamberlain reserves the right to update information as it becomes available. Information is current at the time of posting. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation.

Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC is a part of DeVry Inc. (NYSE: DV), a global provider of educational services. ©2011 Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC. All rights reserved. www.chamberlain.edu.

About Ross University School of Medicine
Ross University School of Medicine was founded in 1978 and is a provider of medical education offering a doctor of medicine degree program. Students begin their foundational studies in Dominica, West Indies and complete their clinical training in teaching hospitals throughout the United States. Graduates of the School of Medicine represent the largest annual percentage of qualified physician residents into the U.S. healthcare system.

Ross University’s administrative offices are located in North Brunswick, NJ. For more information about Ross University, visit www.RossU.edu or call 732.509.4600/877.ROSS.EDU.