Nursing students travel to Vietnam for primary healthcare program
Seven nursing students from Charles Darwin University (CDU) have recently travelled to Vietnam to learn about healthcare practices in Southeast Asia.
The tour, which is run as a collaboration between CDU, Griffith University and Australian- based social enterprise Nineteen Degrees, provides students with an opportunity to practice clinical skills under the supervision of university supervisors and local healthcare workers.
The three-week tour saw 14 students, seven from CDU and seven from Griffith University, travel from Hanoi to three villages in the Mai Chau district, which is 150km Southwest of Hanoi.
Students took part in health clinics that were run in each of the villages, in conjunction with local nursing staff, and provided a free health service to locals as well as education sessions to adults and children.
CDU Lecturer in Nursing, Jessica Morrissey accompanied the students on the trip and said it was the perfect opportunity for students to expand their knowledge.
“The clinics are an amazing opportunity for our students to take part in. One of the biggest things they learn is the difference between primary and acute health care in different settings,” Ms Morrissey said.
“A lot of our students undertake their placements in a hospital setting in Australia, so during this trip they were exposed to things they wouldn’t normally see, and they needed to think outside the box.”
During the clinics, students were posted at four different stations which included reception where patient details were recorded, observations where the patient’s heart rate, temperature and blood pressure were recorded, basic health assessment station and a pharmacy, which was run by one of the local nurses.
Students also took part in a range of activities to better understand Vietnamese culture, including museum visits, hospital visits and homestays with local families in each village.
Gus Lasker 24, a third year Bachelor of Nursing student based in Darwin attended the program and said it was a highly valuable experience that provided a different perspective on nursing.
“This experience was really eye opening for me. It was incredible to see how resilient the Vietnamese people are, especially considering some of the things they have gone through,” Mr Lasker said.
“Initially with the clinics I felt out of my depth, but once I got settled I really enjoyed taking part in the assessment of the patients coming into the clinic as it really helped me to hone my skills and build my confidence.”
With aspirations to gain further education in critical care nursing and sexual forensic and midwifery care as well as potentially volunteering as a registered nurse overseas, Mr Lasker recommends other CDU students apply for the program.
“It is such a great opportunity and although at times I felt I was out of my depth, I really learnt a lot,” Mr Lasker said.
For CDU students the tour is funded through the New Colombo Plan Mobility program, providing grants for students to complete short term study in the Indo-Pacific region.