Nurses in training engage virtually in a sequence of clinical experiences that deliver health services to resource-limited communities in urban and rural settings in Honduras. Students
- engage in real-time with doctors, pharmacists, and patients supported by advanced telemedical equipment,
- explore details of region-specific diseases and health issues impacting individual and community health,
- understand pharmacological practices and the application of traditional medicines,
- learn how to conduct monitoring and evaluations in the context of a rural clinic,
- develop and deliver educational services to patients, and
- work to develop intercultural competencies throughout the course.
Medical Program Learning Objectives
Students that successfully complete the Nursing/Clinical Program will be able to:
- Explain how the social determinants of health impact the lives of people in rural and urban communities in a developing country.
- Understand the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of common diseases identified in urban and rural clinics that utilize telemedical equipment.
- Explain to the patient the proper use of medications, adverse drug reactions, and drug interactions of medications prescribed.
- Educate patients and families on prevention of infectious and chronic diseases.
- Analyze data to monitor health trends and identify health risk factors unique to a single rural community in a developing country.
Resources provided in support of the virtual sessions and Modules
- A bilingual, on-the-ground session facilitator will coordinate each virtual session with students.
- A translator is provided in each virtual session in which students engage with patients and community healthcare workers. Doctors and medical staff are also bilingual.
- Program materials are provided to all students.
- Session scheduling that coordinates your course and our online sessions and clinics.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
There are ten Modules in the Nursing/Clinical Program. Each Module is scheduled for two hours. The Modules can be variously assembled to build programs of the appropriate length and focus. Additional Modules can be developed to address specific campus needs.
Module 1: Global Brigades Overview and the Community Selection Process (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Facilitator and student introductions. A presentation on Global Brigades (GB) and its NGO non-profit development programs. Details of the community selection process are discussed. An exploration of key approaches to working with international communities: reflection, action, and intercultural competencies.
Module 1 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflect on Global Brigades’ holistic model and the advantages of an integrated community development approach that impacts health.
Students explore the community profile on our website. They watch a video on the social determinants of health, and then complete the Social Determinants of the Health Worksheet (UN SDG – 3).
Module 2: The Honduran Medical and Healthcare Systems (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Explore in detail the Honduran medical and healthcare systems.
Module 2 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflect on the Honduran medical and healthcare systems, and draw parallels to your own medical/healthcare systems.
Module 3: Clinic Preparation 1 (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
A local Medical Doctor works with nursing students to prepare for the urban clinic sessions (Modules 5-7). Students are oriented to the ethical principles used in clinical practice to conduct effective medical consultations. The most common diseases encountered in the country, common medications, including traditional medicine, and the use of Electronic Medical Records are discussed.
Module 3 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Group reviews anonymized past patient data from rural clinics and reviews the common illnesses encountered.
Module 4: Clinic Preparation 2 – TeleMedicine Equipment, Patient Consultations (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Students learn about the types of telemedicine equipment used in the urban clinic. A MD conducts mock patient consultations with students, based on local symptom-disease practice, to prepare for the Clinic Sessions and practice Spanish medical terms. Facilitator explains how the class will develop and create an educational video for clinic patients to be presented in Module 10.
Module 4 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students review the Spanish Medical Terminology worksheet.
Students begin to develop an educational video for clinic patients.
Module 5: Live Virtual Urban Clinic Day 1 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students work with Honduran MDs in stations focused on 1) patient evaluation and 2) diagnosis and treatment. Honduran MDs utilize telemedical devices at our Urban Clinic in Tegucigalpa to engage with students.
Module 5 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflections and observations from Urban Clinic Day 1.
Students continue to work on the educational video for clinic patients.
Module 6: Live Virtual Urban Clinic Day 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students work with Honduran MDs in stations focused on 1) diagnosis and treatment and 2) recommendations needed to be given to the patients about medications and the application of traditional medicines. Honduran MDs utilize telemedical devices at our Urban Clinic in Tegucigalpa to engage with students.
Module 6 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflections and observations from Urban Clinic Day 2.
Students continue to work on the educational video for clinic patients.
Module 7: Live Virtual Urban Clinic Day 3 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students continue to work with Honduran MDs in stations focused on 1) patient evaluation and 2) recommendations needed to be given to the patients about medications and the application of traditional medicines. Honduran MDs utilize telemedical devices at our Urban Clinic in Tegucigalpa to engage with students.
Module 7 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflections and observations from Urban Clinic Day 3.
Module 8: Recorded Rural Clinic Day and the Social Determinants of Health (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
A rural clinic day is recorded in a community assigned to each class, where students observe how a selection of MDs, HCWs, Optometrists, and Dentists work with patients in a mobile rural clinic setting. A MD discusses the most interesting epidemiological cases encountered in the rural clinic, along with patient feedback. Students observe the social determinants of health impacting the lives of rural community members.
Module 8 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
The class updates the Social Determinants of Health worksheet.
Module 9: Monitoring and Evaluation using Rural Clinic Data (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Students learn how to monitor health trends and identify health risk factors unique to the assigned rural community to develop a Rural Clinic Impact Report.
Module 9 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
The group completes the Rural Clinic Impact Report to be presented in Module 10. The group also prepares cooking materials for the Cultural Celebration.
Module 10: Cultural Celebration and Final Reflections (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Students present the final Rural Clinic Impact Report and the educational video for clinic patients. Group also prepares a local Honduran dish to be shared, and they reflect on the overall experience of the Program.
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