Nurses in this program will gain an advanced understanding of issues impacting individual and community health in urban and rural Honduras. They will learn about one NGO’s strategies for providing access to healthcare professionals and prescribed medications.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with a Honduran nurse to discuss the challenges of working in a public hospital setting. They will also design and present a health education and disease prevention training session for Community Health Workers (CHWs) / Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs) (Training of Trainers – TOT) and create educational materials for community use.
Throughout the program, students will virtually shadow local medical professionals in Honduras, assisting in delivering critical health services to resource-limited urban and rural communities. Students will delve into region-specific diseases and health issues, engage in real-time with Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs), Community Health Workers (CHWs), doctors, and patients using advanced telemedical technology. They will also explore pharmacology, traditional medicine applications, and methods for conducting monitoring and evaluation.
The program emphasizes the development of intercultural competencies, which are integrated into all learning activities. These engaged experiences aim to enhance the quality of healthcare services and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Nursing Program Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of the Nursing Program, students will be able to:
- Discuss key issues impacting the healthcare system in a developing country.
- Analyze social determinants of health affecting the wellbeing of patients in urban and rural clinics.
- Describe the roles and practices of Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs), Community Health Workers (CHWs), and nurses in public hospitals.
- Identify common diseases and treatments used in urban and rural clinics.
- Recognize health risk factors unique to a specific rural community.
- Design and conduct a Training of Trainers (TOT) to support the education of Community Nurses.
Resources provided in support of the virtual sessions and Modules
- A bilingual, on-the-ground session facilitator will coordinate each virtual session with students.
- A translator will be available for all virtual sessions involving interactions between students, patients, and community healthcare workers. Doctors and medical staff are also bilingual.
- Program materials are provided to all students.
- Session scheduling will be coordinated to align with your course and medical clinic availability.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Nursing Program consists of twelve modules, each scheduled for two hours. The modules can be assembled in different combinations to create programs of the desired length and focus. Additional modules can also be developed to meet specific campus needs.
Module 1: Global Brigades Overview (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
The session will begin with facilitator and student introductions, followed by a presentation on Global Brigades (GB) and its NGO non-profit development programs, including medical initiatives in Honduras. The session will also explore key approaches to working with international communities, focusing on reflection, action, and intercultural competencies.
Module 1 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflect on Global Brigades’ holistic model and the advantages of an integrated community development approach that positively impacts health outcomes.
Module 2: The Honduran Medical and Healthcare Systems (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Explore the Honduran medical and healthcare systems in detail, and discuss the differences between these systems and those in your home country.
Module 2 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflect on the Honduran medical and healthcare systems, and compare them to those in your own country. Prepare questions to ask a Honduran Professional Nurse during the upcoming session.
Module 3: Interview with a Honduran Professional Nurse. Learn about Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) program in Honduras (contact time: 2 hour est)
Students will interview a Honduran Professional Nurse and discuss the challenges nurses face in Honduras. The facilitator will also introduce Global Brigades’ Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs) / Community Health Workers (CHWs) Program, explaining how it serves as an initial strategy to address the social determinants of health in Honduras and other countries globally.
Module 3 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Prepare questions for the Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) meeting in Module 5.
Module 4: Social Determinants of Health and the Honduran Medical Program (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Students will explore the social determinants that impact the lives of people in both rural and urban areas. They will learn about four strategies applied by Global Brigades to help entire communities live healthier lives, including community selection criteria, and how these strategies prevent and/or address disease.
Module 4 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will explore the community profile on our website by visiting www.globalbrigades.org/countries/honduras and then complete the Social Determinants of Health worksheet.
Module 5: Meeting Community Health Entrepreneur/Community Healthcare Workers in Honduras (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
A live meeting with Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs) / Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) to discuss specific community needs and the role of CHWs in supporting the continuity of care within the community.
Module 5 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Use the worksheet to research and compare other CHE/CHW interventions around the world.
Module 6: Clinic Preparation 1: Most Common Diseases (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will learn about the second strategy for improving the social determinant of health: lack of access to healthcare professionals in urban clinics. A local Medical Doctor will guide students in preparing for the urban clinic session. The most common diseases encountered in the country will be discussed, Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) will be analyzed, and effective medical consultations with local patients will be conducted to determine accurate diagnoses.
Module 6 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
The group will review anonymized past patient data from rural clinics and examine the common illnesses encountered.
Module 7: Clinic Preparation 2 – Pharmacology and Traditional Medicine (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will learn about the third strategy for improving the social determinant of health: lack of access to affordable prescribed medicine in urban clinics. A local MD will present on common medications and their use in the clinics, along with an introduction to traditional Honduran medicine.
Module 7 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will collaborate to develop health education and disease prevention training, which will be presented in Module 12 to CHEs/CHWs for use in their communities. This may include an outline of the presentation, PowerPoint slides, educational games, pre- and post-quizzes, and other materials needed.
Module 8: Clinic Preparation 3 – TeleMedicine Equipment, Patient Consultations Simulations, and Local Symptom-Disease Practice (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will be oriented to the telemedicine equipment used at the urban clinic, conduct patient consultation simulations at the Triage Station, and participate in local symptom-disease exercises. An MD will guide mock patient consultations with students to prepare for the Clinic Sessions and practice Spanish medical terminology.
Module 8 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students review the Spanish Medical Terminology worksheet.
Module 9: Live Virtual Urban Clinic Day 1 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will be shadowing our Honduran MDs, Optometrists, Pharmacists, and Dentists utilizing telemedical devices at our Urban Clinic in Tegucigalpa.
Module 9 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflections and observations from Urban Clinic Day 1.
Module 10: Live Virtual Urban Clinic Day 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will be shadowing our Honduran MDs, Optometrists, Pharmacists, and Dentists utilizing telemedical devices at our Urban Clinic in Tegucigalpa.
Module 10 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflections and observations from Urban Clinic Day 2.
Module 11: Recorded Rural Clinic Day (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will observe the social determinants of health impacting rural community members. A rural clinic day will be recorded in a community assigned to each class, where students can watch how a selection of MDs, Optometrists, and Dentists work with patients in a mobile rural clinic setting. An MD will discuss the most notable epidemiological cases encountered in the rural clinic, along with patient feedback.
Module 12 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
The class updates the Social Determinants of Health worksheet.
Module 12: Final TOT Presentations and Final Reflections (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Students present their Training of Trainers (TOT) to the Community health nurses for use in their communities. Group reflects on the overall experience of the Program.
Are you a student and not a faculty member? Find a student-led brigade Chapter near you.