CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2020 - 18

CLASS NOTES

Thoughts on Nepal
ONE STUDENT'S REFLECTIONS ON HER GLOBAL
HEALTH EXPERIENCE By Sabs Shephard, BSN candidate
Combining my passion for nursing with the unreal setting of Nepal - a
place that I have wanted to visit for so many years - was a dream come
true!
I am appreciative beyond words to the "Dean's Global Health Scholarship"
as it made this dream a reality.

SEEING PUBLIC HEALTH UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
This two-week immersive experience was led by two CU Nursing faculty
members (Pamela Prag and Dr. Jennifer Fisher) and included myself and
eight fellow undergraduate students from the traditional program.
Our learning focused on the triumphs and challenges of public health
policy and programs in a low resource setting/country. I was surprised
to learn our Nepali partners face many of the same struggles as we do
here in the United States: socially, politically, etc.
We toured multiple outpatient clinics providing, among other things,
testing and treatment for tuberculosis and childhood immunizations.
At the immunization clinic young families patiently waited for hours to
get their children vaccinated.
Our group also spent time in a clinic for malnutrition and rehabilitation
(Nepal Youth Foundation Nutrition and HIV Children's Home). This clinic
helps rehabilitate children who are severely malnourished through nutrition and education programs. The clinic has an amazing success rate
and consequently opened satellite sites throughout the country. I was so
impressed with the processes it has implemented and the impact it has
on the community. The clinic houses parents alongside their children
during rehabilitation, empowering them to be involved in their child's
care and teaching them the required life skills to continue to practice at
home. This greatly improves the long-term outcomes for these children.
The knowledge I gained through this experience in Nepal will positively
impact my nursing practice and I will carry this experience with me for
the rest of my life.

RESOURCEFULNESS THE NAME OF THE GAME
Interacting with the nursing students from the Medical Institute College
of Nursing at Sheer Memorial Adventist Hospital was one of the highlights
of the trip. In addition to sharing our experience as nursing students
from two different continents, I was also able to observe two surgeries
and spend an afternoon in the very busy emergency department at the
hospital. It was impressive to see how the staff maximized their limited
resources to achieve the highest possible result!

CU College of Nursing | Spring/Summer 2020

Sabs Sheppard immersed herself fully in the Nepali
culture and joined in the Holi Festival where she was
doused with colorful powder.

VOLUNTEERS ARE HIGHLY ESTEEMED
In Nepal "female volunteers" play a crucial role in healthcare delivery
and are highly esteemed. These women educate their communities
about immunization, prenatal checkups, and more. They are truly
volunteers, as they do not get paid. They work in partnership with
nurses, nursing students, and other public health workers.
We saw a wide variety of cultures and ethnic groups throughout
our travels and multiple examples of Hinduism and Buddhism
coexisting harmoniously. We visited one of the largest Buddhist
Stupas in the World (Boudhanath), and one of the most sacred Hindu
Temples of Nepal (Pashupatinath). It was inspiring to see Hindus,
Buddhist monks, the Kumari (7-year-old child Goddess), Muslims...
all mingling together.
Our visit coincided with the Holi Festival- a Hindu celebration of
good over evil. Our group joyously joined the festivities, running
through the streets with the children of Dhulikhel as we doused
each other in colorful powder.

DREAM COME TRUE
Nepal is a country of natural beauty and friendly, welcoming people.
We saw various socioeconomic classes living on the same street. No
matter who the people were they had a warm and inviting attitude.
I was able to learn about different cultures and different healthcare
settings, which is a skill I will carry with me throughout my entire
nursing career.

CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2020