Dana L Friend,
FNP-BC, MPH
West Virginia University
- Position
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Family / Community Health Department
- Phone
- 304-293-1404
Travel Opportunities
Duration:
Study Abroad Opportunities | WVU School of Nursing
Meet Our Coordinator of Global Programs
If you need help determining which global program is best for you, Dana Friend, Coordinator of International Programs for the School of Nursing, can provide additional information regarding the opportunities available.
Cyprus
Summer Semester Abroad, Cyprus
Students participating in the month-long summer study abroad program in Nicosia, Cyprus, will be visiting community hospitals and clinics in addition to covering comparative healthcare contexts in a classroom setting.
- Students take 2 courses and receive 6 credit hours
- Curriculum covering comparative healthcare contexts
- Engagement and interaction with students from around the globe
- Visits to various community hospitals and clinics to supplement classwork
- Introduction to the local culture, healthcare and environment of a country divided
Specific information for WVU students will be provided soon. Learn more from Owen Widders, a WVU student who shared his first-hand experience during an Instagram takeover.
Semester Abroad for Spring 2025 Freshman
WVU School of Nursing direct admit and potentially pre-nursing students can spend the Spring semester abroad at the University of Nicosia (UNIC), Cyprus while maintaining their academic program and active status as a WVU student. Students have the full support of UNIC Global Semesters staff and WVU Education Abroad before, during, and after their program abroad.
Learn more from Owen Widders, a WVU student who shared his first-hand experience during an Instagram takeover.
Global Health Brigades
West Virginia University is a chapter of Global Public Health Brigades, an international movement of university students working to improve health conditions in the developing world. Through an evidence-based model, we work alongside local community members to build projects that tangibly improve lives in Honduras, Panama, and Ghana. Volunteers work with local masons and families to build eco-stoves, latrines, concrete floors, showers, and/or water storage units.
Visit Global Brigades for more information.
Honduras
Course Description: MSN/DNP Students will be introduced to global health concepts through immersion in the culture of Honduras and service learning experiences providing health care in established clinics that are staffed with volunteers. Students will implement disciplined reasoning in the application of therapeutics and evidence-based advanced nursing practice. Health care delivery in rural Honduran settings will be examined. Students will actively engage in the provision of health care services throughout the week. Topics such as infectious diseases, chronic disease management, community health promotion and health care delivery systems will be explored.
Service: Students in this course are required to travel to and participate actively in the life of the host community throughout the duration of the program. This participation includes active work in the clinics scheduled for the week. Clinical work may include documentation of vital signs, collecting and documenting history of present illness, performing and documenting a wellness or focused assessment, making appropriate diagnoses, recommending treatment plans, and assisting other members of the inter-professional team as needed. Additional team or patient needs, which are not listed here, may arise. Collaborative partners in Honduras (board members of Carolina Honduras Health Foundation) will determine specific details upon arrival. The intercultural service experience serves as a basis for course discussion and student writing.
Contact Emily Barnes for more information:
Emily Rebekah Barnes,
DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CNE
West Virginia University
- Positions
- Associate Dean of Faculty Practice, Office of Faculty Practice and Community Engagement
- Clinical Professor, Adult Health Department
- Phone
- 304-293-1776
Honduras/Panama
During Spring Break, Global Medical and Global Dental Brigades have travelled to rural Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras where they perform medical, dental, and public health tasks. Over the course of the trip, students worked with medical professionals to provide medical and dental care to patients. Students were tasked with public health initiatives, assisting in the construction of septic tanks, washing stations, and the mixing and laying of concrete flooring. In addition, the students split into groups to work on water brigades' projects that help improve access to water in these small communities as we help dig trenches and lay piping that will serve entire communities.
Visit Medical Dental Brigades for more information.
Spain: The Art of Health and Nursing
Students will spend Spring semester meeting to discuss the trip experience and gain a working knowledge of healthcare and nursing in Spain. The semester will culminate in a trip to Barcelona and Valencia from May 19th through May 26th. During this time students will explore various historical and cultural venues. Students will have the unique opportunity to speak with a registered nurse who can share insights into Spain's healthcare system, and receive a lecture from IS Global, a renowned research institute whose mission is to improve health and health equity amongst the most vulnerable worldwide.
Additionally, students will have the opportunity to meet with other nursing students at the Catholic University of Valencia. Students will explore the art of Barcelona’s famous artist Gaudi through visiting Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia. Additionally, students will have a guided tour of various neighborhoods in Barcelona and Valencia including marketplaces to learn about the Mediterranean diet and engage in a cultural cooking class. In Barcelona, students will enjoy a traditional tapas dinner, and in Valencia, students will eat an authentic dinner of paella.
The application deadline is Oct. 23, 2024.
South America: Global Healthcare Practice
This program is open to current undergraduates and new admits! This allows new students to participate in a group Education Abroad experience and earn WVU Credits before they begin thier Fall 2024 semester on-campus. Students will have the opportunity to meet their faculty leader and travel companions during select New Student Orientation days. Students will become familiar with the WVU Health Sciences Complex and faculty before departing to South America for the Education Abroad component.
This 3-week education abroad (July 8th-26th, 2024) course identifies and explores global healthcare practice in Brazil and Argentina while abroad over a 12-day time frame. It will consist of lectures and will have both pre-trip and post-trip required lectures/assignments. The course will focus on the practice of pharmacy, nursing, and medicine in multiple foreign locations, and will allow students to be able to compare and contrast these with current US practice within these disciplines. Students will also learn about specific travel medicine maladies that are commonly seen prior to traveling abroad. There is no prerequisite coursework. This course will address WVU General Education Foundations (GEF) 7: Global Studies & Diversity.
There is no pre-requisite coursework or requirements. This is an excellent opportunity for students who might be thinking about going into the healthcare field.
Vietnam
WVU School of Nursing, An Giang University, and the Pacific Links Foundation, in conjunction with professional human health and social service providers associated with other organizations, will host the 18th Annual Summer Social Work and Community Health Institute via Zoom.
The Institute will offer free social work and community health workshops, an endeavor made possible by the commitment of West Virginia University, An Giang University, and Pacific Links Foundation.
Recommended participants include:
- Social workers / collaborators / partners of local and international NGOs
- Staff, faculty, students of social work at universities
- Working in social work services
- Interested in social work and public health
All workshops will be presented in both Vietnamese and English. Presentations will be available for participants not only in Vietnam but in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Laos. A list of workshops and registration instructions will come out later. View sample workshops from 2019.
To learn more, visit the Institute website. To register, sign up online.