Rebecca Sugars (maroon scrubs, middle) with fellow nursing interns at Hospital Goyeneche in Arequipa, Peru.
Rebecca Sugars, a first year nursing student at the Faculty of Nursing, combined her desire to help people and her love of travelling by enrolling in a two-week nursing placement in Peru-and came home with a new outlook on life and her future career as an RN.
She always wanted to go to South America and knew that a global internship would be an opportunity to contribute while gaining valuable nursing skills through cultural immersion.
"Through this experience, I practiced my cultural competence and awareness-which is absolutely essential to being an RN in a country as ethnically diverse as Canada-by becoming accustomed to new traditions, practices, and cultures while in Peru," said Sugars.
From the outset, she had to learn to adapt to an unfamiliar healthcare system: charting was done solely on paper (there were no computers in the hospital), resources and personnel were limited, and she had to get used to routine procedures like inserting IVs or changing bandages without gloves.
Still, Sugars was impressed by the local nurses' ability to work efficiently and effectively within these constraints.
"It was incredible seeing the nurses [in Peru] deal with many devastating patient cases such as preventable infections, high AIDS rates, and self-performed abortion complications while maintaining high levels of empathy, grace, and compassion," she explained. "Despite working in difficult circumstances with minimal resources, they showed tremendous resilience which was really inspiring. It provided me with a new perspective-and moving forward, I will strive to embody that resilience, strength, and empathy throughout my nursing education."
Upon graduation, Sugars plans to pursue orthopedic nursing, as she has a passion for sports and hopes to promote the importance of staying mobile. She plans to explore the world by nursing abroad in areas with a high demand for healthcare professionals.
"I think the extensive training, education, and skills that nurses possess make them a tremendous resource for global health. Nursing abroad encourages professional nurses to share their resourcefulness and education with countries that need it the most. This certainly appeals to me, not only to broaden my professional perspectives, but to also make a meaningful impact for those in need."