I thought this was a cool story; just dropped by my alma mater, and met a student who'd been to Turkey. Nursing students experience diversity | Universe.byu.edu

BYU nursing students and faculty mentors associated with the Nursing 400 course: Global Health and Human Diversity are experiencing diverse medical theories in locations as distant as Taiwan and as close to home as Pleasant Grove.

One group of nursing students working in Ecuador have observed at hospitals, screened more than 1,000 children to identify health concerns, provided medical education for children and taught local LDS Church members about diabetes, hypertension, nutrition, first aid and CPR.

Student nurses also participated in a service project in conjunction with a local charity, Hogar de Cristo, to assist in building pre-fabricated homes.

“I think the course is invaluable,” said Erin Maughan, assistant professor and international coordinator for the college of nursing. “Learning to be culturally competent is a skill our students will need to be effective, compassionate nurses as well as better citizens of the world. It allows students to be the best nurses they can.”

Professor Jim Kohl accompanied a group of eight nursing students to Tianan, Taiwan, in May.

Kohl’s students learned how the nurses and physicians blend Eastern and Western philosophies in creating care that encompassed both spiritual and physical needs.

“Patient’s family members would come to the hospital with herbal concoctions,” Kohl said. “There was often a spiritual component in the ICU with religious artifacts and rituals.”

Not only are students advancing the cause of medical science on their trips to Ecuador and Taiwan, they are also breaking down barriers in global understanding and communication, Kohl said.

Kelsey Carter, a nursing major from Highland was part of the nursing group that traveled to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to study U.S. veterans as part of her Nursing 400 mentored experience.

“To specifically study veterans and learn how to better take care of them as nurses is indescribable,” Miles said. “I loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat. We had the opportunity to learn so much about these selfless men and women who sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice their lives for us to enjoy the freedoms we do. I have a profound respect for all veterans. They are noble men and women.”

Other nursing students are gaining experience with alternative nursing approaches locally.

Professor Leslie Miles shadowed a group of students serving at-risk homeless populations in Utah County.

“We went out to the community to provide outreach with the case managers,” Miles said. “They arranged for some clients to tell their stories, which were very enlightening. With some of these clients it has taken months to over a year to get them to accept services.”

Miles said it is currently estimated there are about 240 homeless individuals in the county, but accurate numbers are hard to come by because homeless individuals often try to blend in.

No matter where they travel, the Nursing 400 course provides a way for nursing students to develop their skills and compassion.

“Each group has a unique experience learning health care from the vantage point of the culture they are in,” Rose Ann Jarrett, spokesperson for the department of nursing.