Posted on Jul 2, 2015

Students improve lives in Panama

Students improve lives in Panama

Nursing students helped transform lives during an intense two-week trip in Chitre, Panama. They traveled to the Latin country to complete their summer 2015 global community health experience.

Under the leadership of Connie Visovsky, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, associate dean for student affairs and community engagement at USF Nursing, students provided health services for people at different locations in Chitre. They worked together with faculty and students from University of Panama to provide care at local clinics for adults and children of all ages.

USF Nursing Students in Panama

USF Nursing students meet with faculty and students from University of Panama.

Students were also involved in community-based health projects to help benefit the local population. They provided immunizations against yellow fever and influenza at a local agricultural office. They also taught locals about sexually-transmitted diseases, maternal-child health, and Dengue and Chikungunya diseases.

panama2015

During their trip, the nursing group also met with students from USF College of Pharmacy. Both student-groups went to the region of Chepo to vaccinate workers in the national park.

Nursing and pharmacy students in panama

USF Nursing and USF Pharmacy students work together to provide health services in Panama.

This global community health experience fulfills students’ six-credit requirement for their community health didactic and clinical courses, an initiative developed through the College’s POWER with NursingPartnership Opportunities for Wellness, Education and Research. 

To read more about the students’ experience visit their blog: https://usfnurseinpanama2015.wordpress.com/.

To view photos from their trip go here.

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