Off-Campus Learning Opportunities
We offers several unique
opportunities for students to participate in off-campus study programs.
These programs provide opportunities for you to experience different
cultures and diverse health care systems.
The off-campus study programs may be taken for college credit or a
non-credit option may also be selected. The length of time for the
programs will vary depending on the nature of the experience selected.
Camp Nursing
This 2-credit hour nursing elective course is an option for senior level
nursing students who have completed their pediatric nursing rotation.
Course work is completed on line during the beginning of summer quarter.
Students
select a immersion residential camp experience where they work as part
of the medical team for seven days. They also participate in all camp
activities such as horse back riding, canoeing, hiking, and games.
Many
students work at a camp for children with diabetes, some students have
worked at camps for children with cancer, children with HIV, or children
with hemophilia.
This service learning elective helps to increase
student knowledge on childhood growth and development, as well as
dealing with a chronic illness. Students participate as members of a
multi-disciplinary team to provide 24 hour healthcare for the children.
The England Experience
The Department of Nursing offers a nursing-related portion of the
England Experience. This experience is available each December for two
weeks before Christmas. The group who went to England in December 2010
blogged about their trip here.
Sights frequently visited include:
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Tours of Shakespeare's birthplace, Ann Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's house
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London City tour, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, and St. Paul's Cathedral
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Tour of the Houses of Parliament
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Tours of Stonehenge, Bath, Dover Castle, and Canterbury, and Christ's Church in Oxford
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Stratford and London Theater Productions
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Visit to a London health care facility*
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Tour of Florence Nightingale's childhood church and home*
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Tour of the Nightingale Museum*
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Patient home visits with district nurses in Stratford
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Tour of Brighton health care facilities and Royal Pavilion in Brighton*
It is possible to receive either Senior Year Experience credit or
Independent Study credit for the experience by contacting the faculty
coordinators prior to the trip.
For more information about the England Experience, contact Dr. Joan Pryor-McCann (614-823-1230).
*Nursing related activities sponsored by the Department of Nursing at Otterbein University
Transcultural Nursing: The Mexican Experience
This
course focuses on transcultural nursing of the Mexican community within
a Christian service learning framework. The emphasis is on family,
pediatric and women's healthcare in a rural underserved population. The
course includes assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation of
individuals and families utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach.
This is an online course culminating in a four day medical mission trip
to Mexico. Students prepare for the trip by participating in online
discussion groups, course projects, an off-campus full team orientation
meeting and an on-campus class meeting before and after the trip.Ohio
Health and the West Conference of the United Methodist Church Volunteers
in Mission (VIM) co-sponsor 2-day medical clinics in Nuevo Progresso,
Mexico. Clinics are held each month in a small rural church. Volunteer
teams of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists,
translators, and general helpers staff the clinic. Basic screening,
medical care, and referrals are provided by the team.
Otterbein University nursing faculty, nursing skill laboratory staff,
and nursing students join a team each fall in October. Student course
activities are closely supervised. Click here for pictures from previous
trips.
Undergraduate nursing students are placed in the triage area, and are
responsible for conducting intake interviews (with an interpreter),
measuring vital signs, and performing basic diagnostic tests
(fingersticks, urine dipsticks). Some students may design and implement
special care stations, such as diabetic foot care and children's health
issues.
Graduate nursing students function at two levels. Those enrolled in
Nurse Practitioner majors serve as providers, providing physical
examinations and determining appropriate interventions. Those in the
Adult Health Care or Administrative majors function as RN partners and
transcribers to the providers.
Cost: The cost of the course is tuition plus costs for the trip.
Transportation, Meals, and Housing
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Students fly from Columbus, Ohio to McAllen, Texas on commercial flights along with other VIM team members.
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The team is housed at a local church with shower facilities.
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Individuals bring bedding, and a mattress pad is supplied.
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Meals are prepared at the church; lunches and drinks for clinic days are packed.
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The team travels into Mexico daily via vans.
- Passports or birth certificates are mandatory for border security checks.
Special Considerations: The online portion of this course is self-directed and fast-paced to
prepare team members adequately for this cultural immersion experience.
Students must be computer literate; computer requirements are available
here.
The mission trip portion of this course is physically challenging.
Students must be in excellent physical condition, able to participate in
conditions that include extensive walking and standing, heat and
humidity, and rustic living conditions. Up-to-date immunizations are
mandatory; Hepatitis B and Hepatitis A immunizations are recommended but
not required. Liability release forms are mandatory; trip insurance is
available through VIM.
Application Process
Enrollment is by permission of instructor only. The deadline is April 1. Decisions will be made by April 15. Submit a brief, handwritten application to Dr. Marjorie Vogt, Nursing Office, with the following information:
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Name, address, phone number(s), email address
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Status in nursing program (undergraduate or graduate) and current Otterbein GPA
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Past Spanish language education
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Why you are interested in participating in this course
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What strengths you would bring to the team
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Any previous Christian mission experience
If more candidates apply than space permits, applicants will be selected by course instructors to create the strongest team.
Faculty Team Leader
Dr. Marjorie Vogt
614-823-1426
1-888-749-8550 toll-free
mvogt@otterbein.edu