Nursing students creating supportive environments through health promotion activities for children and their families during a Primary Health Care placement in rural Laos.

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Presenters: Valda Frommolt, Hazel Rands

Organisation: Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia

Date of Presentation: 20/10/14

Abstract:

AIM:
International placements to community development projects offer final year nursing students a unique clinical setting. Students work with academic supervisors, providing health promotion and  assessments of children and their families.
METHOD:
Interpretive phenomenology was considered well suited to investigate the meaning of participating in an international clinical placement, as the focus was on discovering ‘what it is like’ for a nursing student to experience the provision of care to children and their families in a developing country . Participants were recruited during the placement preparation phase and data gathered from focus groups at two time points; pre and post placement and follow up interviews eight months later. Ethics approval was granted by Griffith University.
RESULTS:
Analysis revealed themes which subjectively reflected the participants’ immersion in the placement, the supported learning environment and their interaction with families. Student comments clearly reflected the impact of the placement – It was very humbling to see what little these people had in terms of material wealth but how rich they are in their family bonds, spirituality and community ties.
CONCLUSIONS:
Students acknowledged the importance of working with the Lao Health Workers and understanding social determinants of health when providing health promotion activities. Students lived with Lao families during this immersion experience, giving them an appreciation of factors contributing to limited health literacy. Ongoing support from academic supervisors contributed to the students’ development of personal skills and increasing local capacity.