Denmark Nursing Exchange
As part of Red River College’s international partnership programs, two nursing students spent two weeks in Aarhus, Denmark at a summer school program hosted by Via University.
Marlo Pereira-Edwards and Emma Collins were chosen to attend the International Health: Dementia and Welfare Technology program after an interview process with the Program Coordinator. Over the course of two weeks, Pereira-Edwards and Collins were immersed in innovative courses about dementia and were introduced to the various welfare technology (devices that improve quality of life) advances being made for patients living with the disease. They also made visits to elder care centres and hospitals.
Much like the RRC courses they’ve taken in Winnipeg, the students were given hands-on learning experiences—like adapting a recipe into a “dementia friendly” version. They were given an original recipe and were tasked with coming up with strategies to help the patient make the smoothie. This meant simplifying language, adding pictures, and elaborating the steps.
Pereira-Edwards—who has traveled to 25 countries—valued the opportunity to work with other international students attending the program. She worked on group projects with healthcare students from Norway, Poland and China. A big take away for her was recognizing the quality of the education she is receiving at RRC.
“I went in with an expectation that the education in Denmark was some magical, advanced thing—but I realized that RRC is exposing us to such a diverse body of knowledge,” says Pereira-Edwards.
“Denmark definitely has a different format when it comes to education, but it is not necessarily better or worse than what we have here.”
The two students, who are good friends outside of school, stayed in a quaint cabin-like Airbnb within walking distance from the campus. After completing the course, they went on to visit Copenhagen and then Norway. Collins, who hadn’t traveled much before, flew to Copenhagen on her own before being joined by Pereira-Edwards.
“I was terrified. I didn’t think I was independent enough to figure out what to do alone in a city halfway across the world,” says Collins. This experience inspired her to give the following advice to future students pursuing an international program:
“Trust yourself. There will be moments where things feel out of your control. Take a step back when you can, and think about how lucky you are to be where you are–it will go by fast!”
This type of experience for students contributes to one of Red River College’s priorities specific to “Lead the Way in International Education” that supports the development of inter-cultural
competencies and global relationships that are keys to success for its students, faculty and the College itself in a globalizing world.
In the upcoming summer of 2020, a similar Summer Institute will be held and this time it will be in Red River College’s own campus where international students around the world especially from Via University are invited to participate. This Summer Institute will focus on Primary Health Care for the 21st Century.
Students will learn how to assess a community’s health, including populations such as the aging population, Indigenous populations, and an option two-day focus session on childhood development. The Summer Insitute is designed to provide participants with hands-on learning, group projects, and the opportunity to apply newly learned skills in simulation.
At the end of the program, students will return to their home countries with new knowledge and industry experience.
For more information, please go here: https://www.rrc.ca/international/study-at-rrc/summer-institute-health-care/