BY JEREMIAH NABARRETE-STUART
CWI Student Nurses Association President (2015-16)
Welcome to the 2015-2016 Student Nurses Association of College of Western Idaho (CWI)! This will hopefully be the first in a series of posts about our medical service learning trip and the college’s first ever international experience for CWI students. Our team of students consists of twelve students, one registered nurse, and two doctors, as we prepare to jet off to El Salvador in mid-May.
We hope this trip will greatly benefit the people of El Salvador. The people we will be helping rarely have the resources needed to obtain proper healthcare, as a result, we will be taking healthcare to them. We will also work alongside local health care providers to help meet the needs of the people.
This trip will also benefit the students on the team, as they will have the opportunity to practice their skills in a safe, but real world situation, as they make the most use of their skills possible. These locations often lack the technological resources we all too often take for granted. As a result the students get the chance to learn how to best rely on their skills; which makes for great nurses!
In addition to honing their skills, the students will also get the opportunity to really learn and practice cultural sensitivity. In a world with changing populations and increasing immigrant and refugee communities, learning how to be culturally sensitive is invaluable. By gaining this sensitivity, it allows our students to assist the culturally diverse communities in our hometown and increase positive outcomes for the patients. Nothing makes you more sensitive than being the odd man out—and we will certainly be the “other” in El Salvador!
Between now and May, there will certainly be many opportunities to support our efforts towards El Salvador. As they become available we will do our best to keep things updated so everyone is apprised of our progress. We welcome your support in our efforts. The Student Nurses Association represent some of the best students that the College of Western Idaho has to offer. In the coming months, as you see them out and about fundraising, feel free to stop and talk to them for a few minutes. I am sure you will quickly see why I am so proud to be a part of this team! Thank you for all of your help and encouragement.
