"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike.
And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless.
We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. "
- John Steinbeck
And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless.
We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. "
- John Steinbeck
I have been extremely fortunate to be able to travel and study abroad during my education. Since I am only in my first week of this blog, I want to introduce this part of my background since my experiences abroad will greatly influence this blog.
Fall 2008 I spent a semester in Rome, Italy. I had never been out of the country before heading over to Rome. In fact, I never planned or even wanted to study abroad at first. With some pushing from my dad, I applied to the Rome program simply to stop him from bugging me more. The idea grew on me, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. All of my courses in Rome were in the arts-Italian, philosophy, art history, moral theology. My world view was challenged, examined, and expanded. Needless to say, these few months changed the direction of my education and my approach to learning. It continues to be a part of my thinking and reflection. Previous to the trip I thought seeing Europe would appease the adventurer in me. But I kept my bags close by after I got home just in case...
Summer 2010 I spent 7 weeks in Kyarusozi, Uganda-a very small trading center in Western Uganda. The program through my school was open to 6 students that included 3 nursing students and 3 education students that were uprising seniors. I was part of only the 2nd group ever to participate in this program. Of course, I wasn't so sure I even wanted to apply for this opportunity either considering I had never been on a major service trip or to a developing country. God intervened thro
ugh a cross country team member (more on that later on in my blogging) and upperclassman nursing student (now a NICU RN) who went with the first group. She encouraged me and insisted I could do it. For 6 weeks we worked alongside staff at a clinic that was described as "deep in the bush," or in a very rural area. We saw a wide range of patients in the clinic's outpatient services, community outreaches, female ward, male ward, pediatric ward, maternity ward, and labor & delivery.
ugh a cross country team member (more on that later on in my blogging) and upperclassman nursing student (now a NICU RN) who went with the first group. She encouraged me and insisted I could do it. For 6 weeks we worked alongside staff at a clinic that was described as "deep in the bush," or in a very rural area. We saw a wide range of patients in the clinic's outpatient services, community outreaches, female ward, male ward, pediatric ward, maternity ward, and labor & delivery.
It took me months to see the impact my semester in Rome had on my life so I know that I'm applying what I learned in Uganda to my development as a nurse even more than what I'm aware of already. I want to be acutely attentive to the way these experiences have and are continuing to influence my approach to nursing.
I want to weave my insights and reflections from past experiences in Rome, Uganda, or just another clinical day in Indiana into my life as a nurse. I want to help give you the resources to take charge and apply the ideas you generate from your own experiences.
