From March 22 to 30 a team of 19 students and five nursing faculty and staff from Pacific Union College (PUC), a Seventh-day Adventist school in Angwin, California, United States, provided physicals, well visits, and regular physician office and dental care to 311 patients in Mana, Fiji.
Students checked patients’ vital signs, monitored their glucose levels, and recorded medical history and complaints. With a dentist on duty, students assisted and learned how to give fluoride treatments and educated the community on oral hygiene.
Throughout the island PUC nursing students gave in-home care with a provider to assess their needs. “This is an eye-opening experience, as it allows the students to see how the local community lives,” said Sandra Ringer, PUC assistant professor of nursing. “Our lifestyle directly affects our health. It also provides cultural competence, as students discover that not everyone lives and functions as we do and then apply health principles that can assist with lifestyle changes. We are not trying to make them live like the Western world, just encouraging healthy surroundings.”
While PUC’s Nursing Department has served in Fiji in past years, this trip was different in a few ways. One of the physicians who has joined these mission trips for the past three years raised US$20,000 to build a medical and dental clinic on the Seventh-day Adventist school compound in Mana, where PUC students began the building project.
Ringer added, “The dream is in the future, to have opportunities for nursing students with an R.N. degree to volunteer for an extended amount of time in the clinic.”
This year’s team had new and seasoned nurses. Ringer was amazed to see how they jumped into their roles and became leaders. The doctors and dentist on-site praised the students for their professionalism and care, making Ringer very proud of them and PUC’s nursing program.
This trip was also unique because Loma Linda University School of Nursing sent a nurse practitioner to be a provider, who also brought a student nurse practitioner along to learn and observe.
While the teams for these mission trips consist mainly of nursing students, two students from PUC’s chaplain’s office helped serve by coordinating worship services and hosting Vacation Bible School for more than 50 children from the community.
During their downtime, teams immersed themselves in the island by scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming.
PUC students return from these trips with a wealth of lessons and experiences they would not have received in a classroom or standard clinic. Ringer’s ultimate hope is that her students come back changed. She shared her desire for them “to see Jesus and to share that love and compassion gained with their family and profession here in America.” Ringer continued: “And ultimately, we can all be together again in heaven with our Mana family.”
Ringer witnessed the impact this mission trip made on her students. As they left Mana, she saw her toughest and quietest students with tears in their eyes saying goodbye. Students expressed how meaningful this trip was to them, including how it helped their nursing career, helped them understand different cultures, and created a passion for mission work in less-industrialized communities. One student shared how going on this mission trip confirmed their calling to nursing and gave them a sense of purpose not fully realized before arriving in Fiji.
“This trip felt like my passion and personality collided to become a purpose, and it will truly be a constant reminder for me to ‘serve others with purpose,’ ” said a PUC nursing student. “I think in our careers and everyday life we [fall into routine] and forget how fortunate we truly are. The appreciation that Mana has shown us will never be forgotten, and it will forever hold a special place in my heart.”
The original article was published on the Pacific Union College news site. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.
