In the telemetry unit at The University of Vermont Medical Center, nurse Haley Karr ’17 enjoys helping patients learn to make healthy choices to improve their wellbeing and prevent worsening of cardiovascular disease. She especially likes working with people of diverse backgrounds and guiding them toward resources and support. Karr is grateful to have developed skills in health education and intercultural communication at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
In her second year as a nursing student at UVM, Karr visited Belize for a travel course called Women’s Health and Spirituality: A Cross-Cultural Exploration. Offered each winter during holiday break, this three-credit course gives American students an opportunity to compare and contrast divergent health care systems. They learn about reproductive health from local doctors, nurses, traditional healers, social workers, psychiatrists, drug and alcohol counselors and teachers.
“It was a cultural immersion. I got to see different communities and what they are about,” said Karr. “We went into local hospitals and schools and learned about sexual health, sexually transmitted disease prevention, educating people how to protect themselves, and mom and baby health. We had taken mom and baby classes at UVM but experiencing it in a different country was eye-opening for me.”
Studying abroad promotes cultural competence and diversity to serve patients of different religions, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities and ages with sensitivity and care of the highest quality. Karr said the experience helped her become a better healthcare provider.
“Patient education is what I do every day now. It is the most effective way to lower readmission rates and reinforce lifestyle changes. Belize gave me a good start to learning how to educate people about their health.”
The course in Belize is one of many study abroad options offered to CNHS students. Numerous short-term courses take place during winter or spring breaks and offer three to six credits. Nursing students can explore concepts of health care delivery in Oaxaca or Uganda, or spend a clinical semester at Edith Cowan University or University of Southern Queensland in Australia. Students also participate in independent research, internships, practicums or rotations abroad for credit.
It’s also a chance to experience a different part of the world and bond with other UVM students in the same or different majors. Karr met her best friend, nursing alumna Hannah Sumner ‘17, on the Belize excursion. Now they share an apartment and work together at UVM Medical Center.
“The camaraderie within our group and with the women we met struck me the most,” said Sumner. “We met people diagnosed with HIV/AIDs who spent the afternoon talking with us about what it was like. We saw a place where women were working, sitting together around sewing machines making quilts, talking and supporting each other. We learned a lot about ourselves. The trip changed me.”
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the UVM Nursing program. The first students to achieve a bachelor's degree in nursing from UVM began their studies in 1942 and graduated in 1947. Alumni and friends are invited to attend an anniversary celebration on June 8 at the UVM Alumni House.