In September 2013, a group of 7 UCLA nursing students (2 APN, 4 MECN, 1 BSN) joined the Floating Doctors (www.floatingdoctors.com) medical mission in Panama. The team collaborated with an international group of nursing students, medical students, advanced practice nurses, physicians, surgeons, ultrasound technicians, translators, and supporters. The team traveled by boat to organize clinics among the indigenous Ngobe communities across the Bocas del Toro province, including Bocas Torito, Kusapin, and Tierra Oscura. The team provided preventative health and primary care services among a varying population of pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients, and also conducted house-visits for patients who were unable to trek to the clinic site. The Floating Doctors clinic provided prescriptive eyeglasses, prenatal vitamins for expecting mothers, multivitamins for children, and an assortment of medicinal prescriptions for varying degrees of conditions ranging from scabies, leishmaniasis, gastrointestinal illness, diarrhea, and headaches secondary to dehydration. Overall, the students were able to practice and hone in on their nursing skills, explore diagnoses with physicians, and learn about the Ngobe people and understand how their way of life greatly intertwines with their health outcomes.
In September 2013, a small team of UCLA nursing students (2 APN, 1 MECN student) traveled to Biligi Riranga Hills (BR Hills), a small hill range in southeast Karnataka, India. The team collaborated with a non-profit organization, Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK), which services the hill tribes in the neighboring regions. VGKK has had a presence in the BR Hills region for over 30 years and has focused its mission on the sustainability of its tribal people by providing medical care, education, vocational training, and nature preservation. In particular, curative medical care has been slowly gaining acceptance over the years as it has been incorporated with more traditional Ayurvedic treatment. (website: http://www.vgkk.org/br-hills.php). This 10-day mission was split into two parts: The first half consisted of visiting local villages and traveling with the Mobile Medical Unit. The purpose was to assess patients and refer them to the clinic or other units, depending on the acuity of their condition, which ranged from anemia and gastrointestinal diseases to mental illness. The second half consisted of assisting in their Primary Care Centers and First Referral Unit (Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care). The team worked with doctors, interns, and Auxilary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) for prenatal care and fetal assessments. While the language barrier was a challenge, the team embraced the experience and learned much about India's healthcare system, culture, people, and food. It was truly an eye-opening and humbling experience. Left to Right: Jennifer Han, Samantha Tangchaiburana, Kristen Roman, Natalie Sanaee, Tony Ingoglia, Amanda Markusson, Scarlet Lee, Dr. Maria Elena Ruiz
In August-September 2013, five MECN and two APN UCLA nursing students were granted scholarships to travel to Oaxaca, Mexico for UCLA School of Nursing’s very first “Global Graduate International Experience,” which was organized to both promote cultural competency within the students and foster international relationships with Latin American host nations. For 10 days (?), the students were deeply immersed in Mexican culture. Aside from living with Spanish-speaking homestay families, eating “chapulines” (pan-fried grasshoppers) by the spoonful, visiting ancient archaeological sites, and attending Spanish classes daily, they had the privilege of being the first nursing students ever to be granted entry into Oaxaca’s district hospital, Hospital Civil, and shadow both nurses and physicians. Under the guidance of Dra. Magaly, the medical director, they learned about the newly enacted “Seguro Popular,” Mexico’s health insurance for its low-income and unemployed population, and observed first-hand both the benefits and the ramifications of its implementation into Mexico’s health care system. In the smaller community clinics, the students saw how the government provides stipends to families according to their attendance of primary care measures. Participating in “windshield assessments,” the students also witnessed the incredibly vital role that the nurse plays in the health promotion of patients living in rural communities. Furthermore, the students held a presentation at a local children’s center to promote healthy oral care. The experience was not only educational but also humbling and eye- opening; we cannot thank UCLA SON enough for allowing us all such an invaluable opportunity.
In March of 2013, four Masters Entry Clinical Nursing students had the opportunity to join Smiles International for two days in Tecate, Mexico as student nurse volunteers. Smiles International performs charitable surgical procedures for underprivileged individuals with cleft and craniofacial deformities. On this particular trip, students encountered an obstacle with a power-outage in the clinic, but Dr. Jeff Moses, the founder of Smiles International, demonstrated great perseverance in acquiring a generator to be able to perform all of the planned surgeries for the patients. Joining Smiles International in Tecate gave students the opportunity to not only hone clinical skills and work with an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, but also to witness the progress of the patients. The students worked in preoperative and postoperative care.
On Saturday, November 9th, six SON students and two UCLA Medical Center OR nurses went medical trip to Tecate, Mexico in volunteering for tri-annual cleft and craniofacial deformities Surgical Day projected by Smiles of Tecate. During the trip, the students assisted in surgical facial and dental treatments with a total of 8 cleft palates and lips surgical procedures. The tasks included pre and post operation assessment, medication administration education, sterilization of surgical tools, preparation of home care kits, and post anesthesia care. All eight candidates were treated successfully and were sent home at the same day. The students had a great opportunity to learn how the surgical procedure runs and had a great time interacting with patients and their families.
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