Ten nursing students who had completed either their first or second semester in the program spent five days working in temporary clinics and pharmacies in Costa Rica’s capital, San José, and eight other students spent three weeks in Spanish language classes, earning three credit hours.
Nursing students
“Students could never ever learn in the classroom what they can learn in the foreign country,” said Dr. Ana Bausset-Page, assistant professor of Spanish, who accompanied the Spanish students. “The experience they get is unbelievable.”
Julie Baldwin, associate professor of nursing, agreed, saying that working in a foreign clinic is an invaluable experience for students. “It really challenges their thinking. They are in an environment that is totally foreign. The facilities are hot and crowded, and students have to think through how to coordinate care.” She and Dr. Cosette Hardwick, associate professor in the physical therapist assistant program; travelled with the nursing students.
Nursing student Amanda McGaughy
For two weeks, the Spanish students lived with host families within walking distance of their school in Heredia. In the afternoons, after their morning language classes, the students learned Spanish dances, Spanish cooking and jewelry making.
In a country known for its diverse ecosystems, students in both groups had the opportunity to visit the rainforest where they saw monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, toucans and snakes. Spanish students spent their third week attending the school’s location in Samara, right on the Pacific Ocean, and visited a volcano.
Julie said she had accompanied nursing students to Honduras in 2007, and at the beginning of this past spring semester, her current students said they wanted to take a similar trip. She worked with an organization called International Service Learning to arrange the trip.
“My confidence grew 100 percent with my nursing skills. I feel revived and renewed. I truly believe in myself now,” said Amanda McGaughy, who had completed her second semester in the program this past spring.
Dominique Leone ’10, who completed her first semester in nursing this past spring, agreed. “It gave me a lot of confidence for my second semester. I feel like I have a leg up on the students who didn’t go. We all developed critical thinking skills we didn’t have before. The trip will definitely make me a better nurse,”
Lisa Winslow, a Spanish major and business minor, had never travelled outside the United States before the trip. She said it was an amazing experience. “I would encourage anyone who is thinking about a trip to do it.” She said her Spanish greatly improved since she stayed with a family who knew no English, and the students were not allowed to speak English at the school.
Spanish students
The nursing group took more than 2,000 toothbrushes with them that were donated by the campus and St. Joseph community. They also took coloring sheets about hygiene and crayons for the children at the clinics.
“What I loved the most was watching the changes in the students and watching them grow. It was so visible,” Cosette said. “I think they all had wonderful ‘Aha’ moments.”