Skip to main content
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals
Menu

Main navigation redesign

  • Programs
    • Bachelor's Programs
      • Nursing
        • Bachelor Of Science in Nursing (BSN)
        • Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online
        • RN to BSN Option
      • BSN Campus Locations
        • Phoenix, AZ
        • Irwindale, CA
        • Sacramento, CA
        • Jacksonville, FL
        • Miramar, FL
        • Atlanta, GA
        • Addison, IL
        • Chicago, IL
        • Tinley Park, IL
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • New Orleans, LA
        • Troy, MI
        • St. Louis, MO
        • Las Vegas, NV
        • Charlotte, NC
        • North Brunswick, NJ
        • Cleveland, OH
        • Columbus, OH
        • Houston, TX
        • Irving, TX
        • Pearland, TX
        • San Antonio, TX
        • Tysons Corner, VA
    • Master’s Programs
      • Nursing
        • Master Of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
        • Family Nurse Practitioner
        • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
        • Graduate Certificates
        • RN to MSN Options
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Master of Public Health
        • Master of Physician Assistant
        • Master of Social Work
    • Doctorate Programs
      • Nursing
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • Certificates
      • Nursing
        • Nursing Certificates
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Public Health Certificate
  • Admission
    • Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • Academic Catalog
      • Curriculum Plans
    • Become a Student
      • Military Information
      • Transfer Students
  • Financial Aid
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Tuition and Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Aid Forms
      • Partnerships
    • Scholarships and Grants
      • Scholarships
      • Grants
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
  • Why Chamberlain
    • Our Story
      • History
      • Our Vision
      • Chamberlain Care
      • Diversity and Inclusion
    • About Chamberlain
      • Leadership and Faculty
      • Campus Locations
      • Newsroom
      • Blog
      • Accreditation
      • Student Consumer Information
      • Alumni

Mobile Secondary Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Mobile Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Prospective Students
  • Transfers
  • Military
  • Alumni
  • Partners
  • Employers

Top Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Information For
    • Current Students
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfers
    • Military
    • Alumni
    • Partners
    • Employers
  • Chat
  • 877.751.5783
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Main navigation redesign

  • Programs
    • Bachelor's Programs
      • Nursing
        • Bachelor Of Science in Nursing (BSN)
        • Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online
        • RN to BSN Option
      • BSN Campus Locations
        • Phoenix, AZ
        • Irwindale, CA
        • Sacramento, CA
        • Jacksonville, FL
        • Miramar, FL
        • Atlanta, GA
        • Addison, IL
        • Chicago, IL
        • Tinley Park, IL
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • New Orleans, LA
        • Troy, MI
        • St. Louis, MO
        • Las Vegas, NV
        • Charlotte, NC
        • North Brunswick, NJ
        • Cleveland, OH
        • Columbus, OH
        • Houston, TX
        • Irving, TX
        • Pearland, TX
        • San Antonio, TX
        • Tysons Corner, VA
    • Master’s Programs
      • Nursing
        • Master Of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
        • Family Nurse Practitioner
        • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
        • Graduate Certificates
        • RN to MSN Options
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Master of Public Health
        • Master of Physician Assistant
        • Master of Social Work
    • Doctorate Programs
      • Nursing
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • Certificates
      • Nursing
        • Nursing Certificates
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Public Health Certificate
  • Admission

    Admission

    Our team is with you every step of the way, providing the information you need to make the decisions that best serve you.

    • Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • Academic Catalog
      • Curriculum Plans
    • Become a Student
      • Military Information
      • Transfer Students
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

  • Financial Aid

    Financial Aid

    Get support as you navigate paying for your education. Request information to connect with our admission team to discuss your financial options.

    • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Tuition and Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Aid Forms
      • Partnerships
    • Scholarships and Grants
      • Scholarships
      • Grants
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

  • Why Chamberlain

    Why Chamberlain

    Chamberlain University has a 130-year history preparing extraordinary nursing graduates and healthcare professionals. 

    • Our Story
      • History
      • Our Vision
      • Chamberlain Care
      • Diversity and Inclusion
    • About Chamberlain
      • Leadership and Faculty
      • Campus Locations
      • Newsroom
      • Blog
      • Accreditation
      • Student Consumer Information
      • Alumni
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

Secondary Header Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Featured

Man in blue sweater sitting
Breaking Barriers in Social Work:…
Social worker standing in bright office with green plants by the windows
Qualities of a Great Social Worker
social worker speaking to a child
10 Reasons to Be Proud You're a…

Tags

Browse articles by category
Alumni
Campus News
Careers
Health Professions
Nursing Today
Tips for Students

Share

Blog Social Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Home / Blog / Faculty and Staff / Meet Sheri Sawchuk – Professor, International Nurse

Meet Sheri Sawchuk – Professor, International Nurse

March 06, 2015 by Natalie Sobolewski

Albania, Afghanistan and India are just a few of the many countries Sheri Sawchuk, MSN, RN, has visited to provide healthcare services and aid to underserved populations. Her travels continue today – she leads Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree students on several International Nursing Service Project (INSP) trips each year as assistant professor at Chamberlain College of Nursing. Sawchuk guides the students as they experience real-world healthcare application in impoverished communities, an experience they’ll carry with them past graduation.

Taking Her Passion Abroad

Sawchuk’s first international nursing experience was in 1996, when she traveled to Albania. “Albania was in the middle of an economic crisis when we arrived, and the need for medical help was colossal,” she explained. “I spent the first night holding the hand of a young Albanian woman who was in labor at a birthing house. There was no pain medicine or food for her or any of the patients.” Sawchuk describes the birthing house as “out of a horror movie.” She provided much-needed healthcare while dodging stray cats, dirty rags and other sanitation problems, including medical attendants who did not use gloves. As Sawchuk says, you have to do something with that type of experience. She vowed to educate others. Sawchuk teaches and demonstrates strong healthcare values to current and future nurses through hands-on learning. The international experiences instill the importance of providing assistance and education to foreign countries, and make students more aware of healthcare disparities around the world.

Experiencing Ebola

In July, Sawchuk traveled to Liberia to treat patients who had contracted the Ebola virus. Before she arrived, 759 people had been infected and 467 people had died from the disease, making it the worst recorded Ebola outbreak.[i] “I wasn’t scared, I was excited,” Sawchuk said. “I already had a base of knowledge of the Ebola virus, as it had been a health crisis in Africa for a while.” The care Sawchuk was able to provide was limited. “Because of the quarantine, all healthcare workers were required to wear a special suit, and only one healthcare worker was allowed in the quarantined area at a time.” Given the epidemic status of this virus, Sawchuk had limited opportunity to provide the necessary care, which was not nearly enough for the severely ill patients. She recalled, “What I witnessed was beyond what you could ever imagine.” Sawchuk contributed to the greatest extent she was able. She spent most of her time talking to patients behind the quarantined wall and itemizing medical supplies. Any aid was greatly beneficial to citizens of Liberia, whose health care system was already in crisis dealing with the widespread Malaria outbreak. [ii]

A Call for All Nurses to Experience Global Healthcare

A global nurse is culturally sensitive, collaborative and understands that in today’s global culture, what happens in one part of the world can quickly impact U.S healthcare.[iii] As the world becomes smaller through technology, travel and migration, nurses must develop a global perspective, including an awareness of different cultures and ability to assess unique care needs. “With the Ebola crisis, it was vital for the international community to step in because Western Africa did not have the medical resources or support that we have access to in the U.S.” said Sawchuk. “By taking action, offering help and providing care, many lives were saved.” Sawchuk believes students who experience healthcare delivery in less developed countries experience valuable cultural diversity first hand and gain compassion, allowing them to grow personally and professionally. “Whether through Chamberlain’s INSP program, mission work or volunteer organizations, student nurses should seek out opportunities for exposure to different cultures,” she advised. “Even in the U.S., our patient population is diverse. Experiences abroad prepare students to display cultural sensitivities to all patients, and give them the perspective to understand the interconnectedness of our global community.” [i]  “The Toll of a tragedy.” The Economist, January 8, 2015. <http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/01/ebola-graphics>. [ii] “Charity scrambles as Liberia health care system collapses under Ebola.” Aljazeera America, October 31, 2014. <http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/10/31/ebola-liberia-malaria.html>. [iii] “A Global Profession.” Johns Hopkins Nursing, August 10, 2010. <http://magazine.nursing.jhu.edu/2010/08/a-global-profession/>.

By Natalie Sobolewski

More from Faculty and Staff

View all >
india
VIDEO: Student Nurses Care for Communities in India
Read more
caregiver
Chamberlain Nurse Honored as Distinguished Caregiver
Read more
charlotte featured
Chamberlain Announces Charlotte, North Carolina Campus
Read more
ambulance emergency nursing
5 Things to Know about Emergency Nursing
Read more
Show more >

Request More Information

To receive the Chamberlain University Program Guide, including associated career paths, please select a program of study.

Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Secondary Footer Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Student Portal Login

Main Campus
Addison Campus
1221 North Swift Road
Addison, IL 60101 

National Management Offices
500 W. Monroe St, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60661

All Campus Locations
Contact

Footer Menu Column 1

  • Online Programs
  • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
  • Alumni Association
  • Chamberlain Marketplace
  • Military
  • Leadership
  • Catalog & Viewbook

Footer Menu Column 2

  • Student Portal
  • Student Consumer Info
  • Accreditation
  • Parent Organization
  • CA Performance Fact Sheets
  • CA BPPE Annual Report
  • CA BPPE Website

Footer Menu Column 3

  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility
  • Student Disability Services
  • Office of Equity and Access

Footer Social Media Navigation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

2022 Chamberlain Universtiy LLC. All rights reserved.

Footer Menu Line 1

  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use

*140,000 Chamberlain students, alumni and faculty

† Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Chamberlain University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, ccneaccreditation.org. The Chamberlain University Doctor of Nursing Practice (delivered via distance education) is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037 (202-909-2526). Chamberlain University’s Master of Public Health Program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, www.ceph.org. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation. Chamberlain University’s Master of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation, www.cswe.org. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Chamberlain University Physician Assistant Program. 

To report unresolved complaints to the Illinois Board of Higher Education visit their webpage at https://complaints.ibhe.org/ or by mail to 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333, Springfield, IL 62701-1377. View Chamberlain's complaint process.

Chamberlain University confers online degrees from its Main Campus in Addison, IL.

Chamberlain University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com
©2022 Chamberlain University LLC. All rights reserved.