This summer, a small group of BYU nursing students traveled to Japan with Dr. Ryan Rasmussen, Dr. Craig Nuttall, and Dr. Hiromi Tobe to visit the Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University (IPNU).
Their purpose was to share BYU’s methods for mass casualty incident drills. The BYU students gave presentations about the mass casualty incident drill and provided training on triage and transport—assessing patients’ needs and safely getting them to treatment.
After presentations and trainings, they ran a mass casualty incident drill of their own, helping the Japanese students implement the principles they had learned. They ran the simulation three times, so every student had the chance to practice their new skills.
Students did triage on each “patient” actor, determined their medical status, and moved them to a tarp that corresponded to the severity of their invented injuries. After each session, Dr. Nuttall walked them through what they did well and what they could improve on.
For the Japanese nursing students, this training hit close to home. On January 1, 2024, Ishikawa, Japan was struck by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake—the most powerful one to hit the island since 2011. The earthquake left thousands displaced and caused 489 fatalities. Since then, the region has been recovering and rebuilding.
Jenna Mundell, a sixth-semester nursing student, said that when she spoke with the Japanese students after the drill, it was clear that they felt more prepared for future disasters.
The BYU students also got a glimpse into the teaching experience. Jenna said that it was hard to not jump in and help when the Japanese students were struggling with something during the drill. Because of this experience, she gained a deeper understanding of the value of learning through struggle, as well as the joy of watching students figure something out on their own.
Dr. Nuttall said that it was fun for him to watch the BYU students develop relationships with the other nurses and grow their own abilities. He said that the students struggled to find their footing at first, as is to be expected in a new environment, but were flourishing by the end.
Celia Taylor, a sixth-semester nursing student, said that working with the Japanese nursing students helped her better understand the Healer’s art. “The Healer’s art and learning to care for people despite language barriers is truly connected to your soul. That’s something that’s innate in all of us and is that light of Christ. We have it, they have it, it’s even stronger when we come together, and it was just the most incredible thing.”
In Dr. Nuttall’s eyes, this kind of experience is what BYU College of Nursing is all about— “Students and faculty ‘enter to learn and go forth to serve,’ and serve effectively.”
President Russell M. Nelson said, “Education is the difference between wishing you could help other people and being able to help them.” Ellie Lowry, also in her sixth semester, has heard this quote from several of her nursing professors, and she said it came to her mind when reflecting on her experience in Japan. It is her education at BYU College of Nursing that allowed Ellie to turn her wish to help others into action.
Ellie said that one her biggest takeaways from the trip was the “the importance of collaborating with people outside of our culture and outside of our education realms to reach a common goal.” Everyone that she met had the same goals: to improve education, save lives, and be ready for times of crisis.
One of Jenna’s takeaways was that everyone has similar struggles. As she worked with the students at IPNU, she realized that despite geographic and cultural differences they had a lot in common—they were all busy nursing students learning the same material, worrying about exams, and attempting to navigate healthy school-life balance.
This trip will always have a special place in my heart.
The BYU students also expressed their love for everyone they met while in Japan. Ellie said the people she lived and worked with were loving and giving; she saw them as an example of Christlike love. She felt loved and supported, and she was inspired to emulate their care in her day-to-day actions after coming home.
Celia shared a similar sentiment, saying that everyone she interacted with was “so kind.” Her favorite part was the overnight stay with one of the professors and their family. She too was inspired by how welcoming they were and wants to follow their example.
Ellie said that there were many little moments during the trip where she saw God’s hand, and she felt Christ’s love for the people she was working with. “His arms are extended everywhere, and he has love for everyone.” This Christlike love is a quintessential part of the Healer’s art: seeing patients as the Lord would see them.
Dr. Nuttall believes that “In order to provide the care the Savior would, you have to know the people you are caring for. The more you know about people, the more you have a desire to help them.” In Dr. Nuttall’s eyes, that’s what this trip was all about: tailoring care to people’s needs.
After their time at the university, the BYU group also visited areas that were destroyed by the recent earthquake and spoke to the people who were affected. One rural hospital, according to Dr. Nuttall, had to take care of patients without any running water or plumbing for three weeks after the earthquake. Despite this obstacle, the healthcare providers at that hospital worked together to care for their patients as best as they could.
They spoke to local people outside of the hospital as well, hearing about the impact that the earthquake had on them. Jenna said that in speaking with them, she could see the Savior’s hand in their lives as they experienced this challenge. Dr. Nuttall remarked that he saw an earnest desire among the general population to learn about how to care for people in emergency situations in the future.
Dr. Nuttall hopes to bring more students to Japan in the future to share their disaster preparedness training with students and civilians, equipping them with life-saving skills for any future earthquakes that hit the region.