Study abroad trip in London allows nursing students to experience another culture
Study abroad participants pose for a photo in front of the skyline with London’s eye and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Nine WVU School of Nursing students recently traveled to London as part of a study abroad trip to learn more about Britain’s healthcare system and to experience a new culture.
Recent Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates Ty Flynn and Ateria Walker received a scholarship for the trip, as well as Meredith Maneno, a rising senior. Other participants included Paige Brill, Elizabeth Gould, Lindsay Mayfield, Maryssa Michael, Olivia Naccarato and Laci Sears.
“It was an incredible experience,” Flynn said. “This was my very first time being abroad, so I was very thankful to go with the study abroad office so I knew I would be safe during the entire trip and many of the activities would be planned for me, while giving us enough freedom to explore the city on our own.”
Flynn said he recommends studying abroad for all students, especially nursing students.
“Cultural competency should be at the heart of all of our patient encounters and should drive all of our interventions, and the best way to learn about another’s culture is to experience it first-hand,” he said.
Maneno agreed, adding, “Understanding patient perspectives is important to provide high quality holistic care, and part of that is being familiar with a patient’s culture.”
She said she learned a lot about the culture in Britain, as well as their healthcare system and the history of women in healthcare.
“It was especially interesting to learn about the universal healthcare system the UK uses (NHS), because it’s so different than the system the U.S. uses,” Maneno said.
For Gould, the most impactful part of the trip was a guided tour of historical healthcare locations around London and discussing their relation to current issues in public health and nursing practice.
“Learning about how current practices began and developed over the years gives them an entirely new meaning and allows me to be more insightful about things we learn in class,” Gould said. In addition to building cultural awareness, Gould also said studying abroad “allows for independence and learning how to adapt when out of one’s comfort zone.”
Walker said the experiences and information she learned during this study abroad trip to London, England will impact her nursing career by allowing her to have basic knowledge regarding English culture.
“If I were to ever get a patient within the United States who is from England, I now have a basic understanding of the United States and England healthcare system’s similarities and differences which will overall help me care for the patient from the English culture,” Walker said. She also encourages other students to study abroad and to apply for scholarship funding if needed.
Naccarato had an especially memorable moment during the trip, as she learned she was accepted into the nursing program.
“In my first year of college, I was a pre-nursing student, and I dealt with a lot of stress, hoping that I would get into the fall semester for nursing to be on a four-year track. I got an email saying that I was accepted into the fall program while I was on my trip in London,” Naccarato said. “When I found out it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders and I was very proud of myself for the work I put into doing good my first year and was very grateful that it paid off.”
Like Flynn, she said she was glad her first trip to Europe was with other nursing students and faculty leaders Dana Friend and Susan Pinto.
“I am very grateful to Dana and Susan for being amazing trip leaders and for being so open to talking with me about my career and goals,” Naccarato said. “I am very passionate about my career and want to be a midwife. I really got to talk to the two of them and take their knowledge of their professions and I will hold that with me for a while.”
Learn more about study abroad opportunities at the WVU School of Nursing.
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CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu