Pursuing Global Leadership through Hands-on Volunteer Work

 

-Yonsei College of Nursing Offers Health Education in Vietnam

 

 

 

From July 16 to 23, the Yonsei College of Nursing organized a Global Nursing Internship (GNI) in Quang Tri, Vietnam. The GNI program was launched in 2012, and it offers nursing students medical training opportunities in developing countries, allowing them to gain a more complete view of global health issues. This past summer, the Korean University Council for Social Service recognized the GNI program as a top Self-Developed Volunteer Abroad Program. In conjunction with its 110th anniversary, the Yonsei College of Nursing has been engaged with alumni and faculty members in a fundraising campaign to support the program. Thanks to the generosity of donors, sixteen Yonsei College of Nursing students were enabled to take part in the internship in Quang Tri. A special program for middle-school students was also held this summer, which included the participation of graduate students and professors.

 

 

In Quang Tri, the volunteer team was able to learn about Vietnam’s healthcare system and its challenges by visiting local healthcare institutions. In addition to these field trips, the volunteers provided disease screening, child medical examinations, and health education sessions. They also gave lectures on important healthcare issues like smoking, CPR, and reproductive health.

 

There were several seminars provided by international development and global healthcare experts for the Yonsei participants, along with cultural events, including a South Korea-Vietnam university student forum, and a healthcare case competition, in which the participants developed local healthcare solutions with an eye towards the country’s limited resources and infrastructure.

 

According to a representative from the College of Nursing: “The core purpose of this program was to raise the awareness of the community spirit; hence, students took the initiative at every step of the program.” She added: “After participating in the program, which took place in an underdeveloped country, I hope students gained insight into global health issues, while becoming motivated to be more actively involved in changes to the global healthcare environment.”