Follow the Journey Online: Community Health International Clinical Experiences in Panama

University of South Florida College of Nursing students gain firsthand experience in global health issues with various populations during Community Health International Clinical Experiences in Panama, Central America. This year, three groups travel to Panama for Community Health International Clinical Experiences.

The first group of 19 Nursing students were in Panama during week of USF Spring Break in March. The eight-day trip included preparations for ongoing community health work in clinics assessing the rural communities and building on sustainable projects in collaboration with the University of Panama’s nursing faculty and students. During the trip, Chitre City Mayor, Manuel ‘Papito’ Solis, bestowed upon Sandra J. Cadena, PhD, APRN, CNE, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Latin American Student Experiences at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, the honor of “Key to the City” during a ceremony attended by over 500 Chitre city officials and community members, University of Panama faculty and students, and USF College of Nursing students.

On May 26th, 19 undergraduate students, 1 DNP student and 1 PhD student are accompanying Dr. Cadena to the town of San Felix where they will be providing community health care in the Comarcha of Chiriqui with the Ngoble and Bugle indigenous people. While abroad in Panama, DNP student Carolyn DeLoache will complete DNP clinical hours and explore the development of her DNP project. PhD student Jessica Gordon will assist on the trip as adjunct faculty. The group will return June 16th.

The second summer trip departs June 8th and returns June 30th. Tanika Vivien, MS, RN, CHES, Instructor & Team Coordinator, James Haley VA Hospital/Moffit Cancer Institute/Shriners Children Hospital, will lead 15 undergraduate students with the help of Caitlin Brock Scott, a recent USF Nursing Education master’s graduate who traveled as an undergraduate student to Panama in 2008 and who will be assisting on the trip as an adjunct faculty. This group will provide community health care to the rural population of Chitre and conduct in-depth community assessments of an impoverished community, Las Minas. This ongoing involvement builds on the sustainable project at the impoverished elementary school, working with children and their parents from the surrounding mountainous communities. It is not unusual for the elementary school students to walk over 1 to 2 hours each day to and from their homes to participate in educational opportunities. The group will also continue work to establish sustainable projects with Nutre Hogar, a national program focused on impacting malnutrition of children.