One phrase that echoed throughout the Ghana Global Health Nursing practicum was, “You Are Welcome.” This welcoming spirit touched every interaction, from introductions to clinical exchanges. The students loved the connections they saw form between Ghanaian nurses and their patients. “That is how Christ heals us, and it showed me how I can practice the Healer’s Art to empower those around me not just through medical practices, but also through getting to know the patient and helping them feel welcome,” said Grace Maxwell. This all-pervasive concept of community provided moments for the BYU students to focus on people first as they completed their clinical hours in Ghana.
This person-centered approach was precisely the goal of Dr. Michael Thomas and Professor Cynthia Johnson. “We hoped the students would become less task-oriented and more person- centered,” explained Dr. Thomas. “Whether it be in a clinical setting or in life in general, we wanted our students to learn to connect with the person first and then address the task at hand.”
Collaborative Efforts in Public Health Education
The practicum focused its efforts at Ensign Global College, a university founded by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to emphasize public health in Ghana. The BYU nursing group partnered with three graduate students and focused on teaching junior high and high school students' reproductive health. With teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS more common in the area, education efforts from BYU and Ensign Global College focused on consent, abstinence, and feminine hygiene products.
In total, BYU students taught at ten distinct locations to over 3000 students. The reach was greater than they were expecting. Emma Dahl, one of the BYU students, remembers how they even instructed students at a deaf school with the help of an interpreter. “It was different because it was silent, but they were so expressive at the same time. They were just as involved as the other students,” said Emma. She left inspired to start learning sign language to help the deaf in her home community.
With a need as large as reproductive health, Grace Maxwell, another student, felt overwhelmed at helping so many people. She realized, though, that she could focus on each interaction with the kids, and whether they remembered the lessons or not, they would at least know someone cared enough to interact with them. “I think of Christ ministering to us and healing us and how it could be overwhelming for Him because there's so many people,” said Grace. “He does know us because He takes the time to know us individually.”
Outside of educating at local schools, BYU students volunteered at community health clinics in rural Ghana. These clinics are usually staffed by one to two nurses due to regional resource shortages, and the nurses tend to easily treatable injuries. The BYU students aided their Ghanaian counterparts in running malaria tests and maternal health checks. “They’d help people even just off the street,” says Emma. “The range of people that this one nurse could treat was incredible.”
Grace remembers helping a nurse during a mom and baby wellness check. She taught classes to the mothers about watching for signs of illnesses in their infants, weighed the babies to ensure they were growing properly, and aided in administering vaccinations.
Students also spent several days in the 3,000-bed hospital in Accra, Ghana cycling between the various wards: maternity, pediatric, emergency, etc. Even with some resource limitations, the students were impressed with what the Ghanaian nurses could accomplish.
The success of these initiatives stems from a strong collaboration with the Ensign College Graduate students. “Their understanding of the health needs is much better than ours ever would be,” said Dr. Thomas. “The collaboration deepened our ability to be prepared and teach something that had some value to people.” Dr. Thomas and Professor Johnson look forward to future collaborations to create sustainable health solutions.
The group did not shy away from engaging with Ghana's complex history. In Cape Coast, the group visited Elmina Castle, a fort that was used as a waypoint in the slave trade. Initially used to trade gold, the castle became a holding cell where slaves were housed prior to boarding the ships. The experience prompted reflection among the students about treating others with dignity and respect.
At a museum in Accra, the students learned how Ghana creates post-colonial unity, even with a diverse number of tribal peoples. They also witnessed how the current president of Ghana is attending to the healthcare needs of his people by constructing rural hospitals. These 60 new campuses will employ more nurses and treat far more individuals than the smaller clinics.
