Global Educational Opportunities/Study Abroad
The College of Nursing supports global educational experiences for all degree levels.
We embrace the university’s philosophy of forming educated citizens in an inclusive, globally-connected society and serve others, especially the poor and suffering. There is a variety of program offerings to meet the diverse needs of our students. Our goal is to expose our students to global health issues, diversity, social justice, and healthcare development for disadvantaged communities in the United States and abroad. Our study abroad opportunities affords students to learn about the nursing profession in a global context. Our global clinical opportunities use a service learning framework that envelopes our academic programs with community service in combination with critical, reflective thinking.
Global Clinical Program Scholarship for Davis & Henley College of Nursing
The DHCON has received a generous endowment to help First Professional Degree students finance a portion of their global clinical program expenses. A single scholarship will be awarded twice a year to a full-time student enrolled in the FPD nursing program that has applied and been accepted to participate in a DHCON global clinical program. The scholarship will be awarded to deserving students that meet criteria and demonstrate financial need. All FPD students who are accepted to participate in a global clinical program will be considered.
All global educational opportunities are highly competitive, requiring an application for admission.
In 2016, the College of Nursing Global Educational Programs received Honorable Mention for the Institute of International Education (IIE) Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education.
Study Abroad
Australia
AustraliaAn exciting semester-long study abroad program for First Professional Degree nursing students is offered at our partner university, University of Notre Dame. Students live and learn within a globally diverse student population at the UNDA’s Freemantle campus, a picturesque 19th century city located in the Western Australia. This experience is designed for Junior nursing students in their Fall semester to take 3 nursing courses in addition to other required courses for a seamless plan of study. Students take nursing courses with Australian students and attend clinical observations in maternity, which helps build a professional identity with a global perspective. Upon completion of the Australian semester, the students will return to the SHU campus for one week in December to conclude the clinical portion of the maternal-newborn nursing course at an affiliate hospital to fulfill the one-credit clinical requirement. There are many opportunities for travel and extra-curricular activities to explore that area of the globe.
The next program offering will take place in late summer-fall semester 2024.
Ireland
IrelandThe College of Nursing offers a unique study abroad program at SHU’s beautiful campus in Dingle, Ireland. There are two distinct opportunities for the First Professional Degree nursing students to study in Dingle.
The first option is a full semester during the Sophomore spring semester. This experience designed for Sophomore students offers nursing students a seamless continuation of the nursing curriculum, graduating within the usual four-year time frame. This program provides students with an unparalleled experience that promotes both personal and academic growth. Students will take 2 nursing required courses, in addition to taking 3 other courses that fulfill their nursing plan of study. The nursing courses, health assessment and pathophysiology, will be offered in small class and lab sizes, held to the same rigorous quality, and facilitated by the SHU nursing faculty. Nursing students will have the incredible opportunity to complete their clinical requirements in an Irish hospital with an Irish nurse preceptor.
In addition to Spring semester study, students can take a 3-credit course designed for rising senior nursing students in the May two-week session. The Nursing Leadership course provides an unforgettable opportunity to learn about professional nursing issues and trends through a global lens, participate in clinical experiences, join Irish nursing students in an integrated nursing module, and learn about the local Irish culture. Nursing Leadership is a required course in the plan of study.
The next program offering will take place in spring semester 2024. The next two week program offering will take place in May 2024 for the BSN program.
For more information regarding all study abroad programming available through SHU, visit the SHU Study Abroad website.
Global Clinical Opportunities
Central Appalachia, Virginia
Central Appalachia, VirginiaThe Health Wagon’s mission is to provide compassionate, quality health care to the medically under-served people in the mountains of Appalachia. For many, the Health Wagon is the only refuge available in one of the most disadvantaged regions in our country and is the “medical home” to thousands of uninsured and underinsured people in Central Appalachia.
Spend four days in beautiful southwest Virginia with SHU Nursing faculty members at the Health Wagon’s Spring Health Fair. This health fair provides health screenings, immunizations, bloodwork, school & sports physicals, nutrition and health information distribution, and other free health care services. Stay at housing affiliated with UVA – Wise campus or in nearby Norton, VA and dine in the local community. Learn from local health providers about the challenges this community faces and about the life-saving screenings to identify serious respiratory conditions and initiatives to improve cardiovascular health for their patients. Open to FPD seniors, FNP students in clinical courses, MSN CNL students in clinical course, MSN NE students in capstone course, RN-BSN students in clinical courses.
The next program offering will be in March 2024.
Ghana
GhanaOur clinical field experience in Berekum, Ghana is offered to students in the First Professional Degree, RN-BSN-MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Clinical Nurse Leader, and DNP programs. The program’s focus is on caring for patients across the lifespan in an acute care hospital as well as outpatient clinics, whichever is applicable to their program. The participants will work alongside faculty and Ghanaian nurses and physicians to care for the regions people, using native resources while practicing with an interprofessional team. The location for the program is in the northeast part of the country in Sunyani region, nestled on a college and hospital campus – Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Teaching College and Holy Family Hospital. The program will allow students to be immersed in the rich local African culture while practicing healthcare. One field experience will be a visit to a slave castle to understand the perilous journey of slaves and the connection to America. Unique to this program is that Sacred Heart University’s College of Nursing has been working with this college for several years, educating their faculty to receive their MSN Nurse Educator’s degree.
The next program offering will be in October 2024.
Ireland
IrelandAt SHU’s beautiful campus in Dingle, Ireland, MSN Nurse Educator students can complete part of their capstone hours while being mentored by College of Nursing faculty in a 2-week immersion. The participants will be collaborating with the faculty who teach nursing leadership to our undergraduate nursing students, including teaching a module and grading assignments. Opportunities also include participating in an integrated nursing module with Irish nursing students at a local college, a clinical site visit, and learning about the local Irish culture.
MSN Clinical Nurse Leaders and Nurse Management & Executive Leadership students can complete part of their capstone hours while being mentored by nurse leaders at University Hospital Kerry, in nearby city of Tralee, Ireland. The participants will collaborate on hospital-wide projects and spend two weeks visiting the hospital and assist in developing and implementing the project. Opportunities include to collaborate with Irish nurses, administrators, physicians, and other members of the healthcare team and learning about the local Irish culture.
The next program offering will take place in May 2024. The next program offering for MSN CNL/NMEL programs will take place TBD.
Antigua, Guatemala
Undergraduate and graduate students have an opportunity to travel to Central America to provide free, high-quality preventative health care and education to impoverished Guatemalan communities, in collaboration with Iglesias del Camino. As part of an intra/interprofessional team including faculty, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and alumni, nursing students in this one-week immersion program complete clinical hours in both Guatemala and state-side settings to meet all required clinical course objectives.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Panchoy Valley, Antigua is a picturesque Spanish colonial city with cobblestone streets, artisan markets and volcanos overlooking the town. Filled with colonial churches and ruins, it also hosts tourists with a variety of attractions and restaurants, including the famous Santa Catalina arch. In addition to clinical work in rural settings, the SHU team of 25 to 30 spends one free day at a beach house owned by our church sponsor and exploring and shopping in the area.
The next program offering will be announced soon.