91原创 nursing students set up their pop-up health clinic beside a smoking volcano in a first-of-its-kind field school in Guatemala.

Nine Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) nursing students experienced a 17-day volunteer nursing expedition to the Central American country. When it came to working in the clinic, no day looked the same and that was the point. From rural to urban regions of Guatemala, the team would set up their pop-up clinic in a different area each day 鈥� including a day spent alongside the volcano.

"In the 10 days that we worked in the clinic, it was estimated that we saw over 600 patients," said nursing instructor Cindy Milner.

Alongside Bachelor of Science in Nursing instructors Milner and Connie Klimek, the team provided basic checkups, distributed medication and offered health-care education each day to communities near the city of Antigua. Their clinic was organized into seven stations: handwashing, assessment, pharmacy, deworming, dental care, breast self-exam and foot care.

鈥淲e wanted to give our students a unique opportunity to gain new perspectives on health care and learn outside of the traditional classroom setting,鈥� said Milner, who was the program lead. 鈥淚t was incredible to see each student step out of their comfort zone, and grow both professionally and personally in such a short amount of time.鈥�

Student Erin Blackmore had the idea to include a breast self-examination station and was pivotal in implementing the initiative.

鈥淏reast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women in Guatemala,鈥� said Blackmore, from 91原创. 鈥淚t was very fulfilling to educate women and give them a first line of defence towards breast cancer by performing their own self-exams.鈥�

Although the students initially expected to gain an understanding on global health as a whole, this constant change in setting was a valuable lesson on how stark the difference in health can be within a population. For instance, residents in the volcanic areas may present more respiratory issues due to increased smoke exposure.

鈥淟earning the difference between global health and population health was a key lesson for us,鈥� Klimek said. 鈥淲e could really benefit from a population-health approach here in Canada, especially when it comes to Indigenous communities.鈥�

Students who participated in the field school received credits that went towards their degree, but learning went both ways for the instructors and students. Alongside students, Milner and Klimek saw beyond western health perspectives to learn from the locals on traditional health practices, diet, culture, and more.

鈥淭he playing field was really levelled between teacher and student,鈥� Klimek commented. 鈥淲e were co-learning in this environment that was new to all of us, not just the students.鈥�

For Blackmore, this experience left her with a greater sense of adaptability, empathy, compassion and cultural sensitivity 鈥� all of which she is certain will shape the way she approaches her future career in nursing.

鈥淚 would absolutely recommend this program to anyone," Blackmore said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to get out of your comfort zone, immerse yourself in a new culture and create bonds with your peers.鈥�

While the field school was a first for KPU鈥檚 Faculty of Health, it won鈥檛 be the last. Nursing students will get the opportunity to expand their knowledge further in the upcoming Global Health Field School in Tanzania this October.

Students pay their own costs but there is funding available to help.

"The Field School replaces 80 hours of required field work for Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Advanced Entry students in their Global Health Course," explained Milner. "Students have the option to do 80 hours in the Lower Mainland, work with an agency in B.C. or attend the Global Health Field School (GHFS)."

She is a world traveller who sought out a possible field school location that would offer the students a "rich cultural experience" as well as the opportunity for hands-on work but a place that would be safe for them. 

"The goal is to allow students to immerse themselves in a different culture, while providing much needed health care to underserved populations. My goal, as a faculty member and GHFS lead, was to create 'a lived or experiential learning environment' which provides students the opportunity to become culturally competent," she said.

That's in keeping with the requirements of the BC College of Nurses and Midwives.

"Research is underway to address this very question 鈥� do undergraduate nursing students who attend a GHFS increase their cultural competency and humility, compared to students who do not?," Milner noted.