Nurses will acquire an advanced understanding of the issues impacting individual and community health in rural Ghana. They will understand one NGO’s strategies to provide access to healthcare professionals and prescribed medications. Students will also develop and present a health education and disease prevention training to Community Nurses (TOT) and design educational materials for their use in their communities.
During the program, students will virtually shadow our local medical professionals in Ghana to deliver critical health services to resource-limited communities in a rural setting. Students are immersed in the details of region-specific diseases and health issues; engage in real-time with Community Nurses, physicians, and patients; and explore pharmacology and the application of traditional medicines.
Students also work to develop intercultural competencies that are integrated into the course. Ultimately, these engaged experiences help to increase the quality of services that improve the outcomes for our patients.
Nursing Program Learning Objectives
Students that successfully complete the Nursing Program will be able to:
- Discuss issues impacting the healthcare system in a developing country in Africa.
- Analyze the social determinants of health that impact the wellbeing of urban and rural clinic patients.
- Discuss the role and practice of the Community Nurses in Ghana.
- Identify common diseases and treatments used in rural clinics.
- Design and Conduct a Training of Trainers to contribute to the education of the 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 is provided in each virtual session in which students engage with patients and community healthcare workers. Doctors and medical staff are also bilingual.
- Program materials are provided to all students.
- Session scheduling that coordinates your course and medical clinics.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
There are ten Modules in the Nursing/Clinical Program. Each Module is scheduled for two hours.
Module 1 – Pre-Session activities:
- Watch the Global Brigades overview video.
- Watch a video on the Social Determinants of Health.
Prepare questions for discussion during the Module 1 session.
Module 1: Global Brigades Overview; Social Determinants of Health Impacting the Lives of the Ghanaian People; Reflection and Action (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
A presentation on Global Brigades (GB) and its NGO non-profit development programs. Discussion on the Social Determinant of Health that impacts the lives of the people in Ghana. An exploration of key approaches to working with international communities: 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 impacts health.
Students will read the article, “The Medical System in Ghana,” and prepare questions for discussion during the Module 2 session.
Module 2: The Ghana Medical System; the Ghana Medical Program and the Community Selection Process; (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Explore in detail the Ghana medical and healthcare system with a Ghanaian medical doctor. Discuss the Ghana medical program and how the community selection process is. Students will draw parallels with and discuss differences between the Ghanaian medical and healthcare system and their own system.
Module 2 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students explore the assigned community profile on our website.
Read the following article, “Examining Domains of Community Health Nurse Satisfaction and Motivation: Results from a Mixed-Methods Baseline Evaluation in Rural Ghana,” in preparation for the module 3 discussion time.
Read the article, “Epidemiologic Transition and the Double Burden of Disease in Ghana: What Do We Know at the Neighborhood Level?,” and prepare questions for discussion during the Module 3 session.
Module 3: Clinic Preparation 1 – Communicable Diseases; Community Health Nurse meeting preparation; (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
A Ghanaian medical doctor works with students to discuss with the students some of the most common Communicable diseases signs and symptoms, prevention, and treatments encountered in Ghana . This information will prepare them for the rural clinic sessions (Modules 6-8) and the discussion with the Ghanaian Nurse. Students working in groups will analyze anonymized past patient data from Ghanaian rural clinics, and inventory the Communicable diseases encountered.
Students will begin to prepare questions for the Community health nurse meeting in Module 4.
Module 3 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students continue to write questions for the Community health nurse meeting in Module 4.
Module 4: Meeting Community Health Nurses (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Live meeting with Community Health Nurses to discuss specific community needs and their role to support the continuity of care within the community.
Module 4 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Read the following article, “The Prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases in Ghana,” and prepare questions for discussion during the Module 5 session.
Module 5: Clinic Preparation 2 – Non-Communicable Diseases (Contact time: 2 hour est.) A Ghanaian medical doctor will lead a discussion with students on conducting effective medical consultations in a rural setting. During this session, students will discuss the most common Non-communicable diseases encountered in the country, common medications prescribed, and most effective prevention practices.
Module 5 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Read the following articles on traditional medicines used in Ghana, and prepare questions for discussion during the Module 6 session.
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- “Prevalence, Patterns and Beliefs about the Use of Herbal Medicinal Products in Ghana: A Multi-Centre Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.”
- “Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Used in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.”
- “Ghana’s Herbal Medicine Industry: Prospects, Challenges and Ways Forward from a Developing Country Perspective.”
Module 6: Clinic Preparation 3 – Traditional Medicine and Patient Consultation Guidelines; Working Session on the TOT design (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
A Ghanaian medical doctor discusses traditional medicines used in Ghana and reviews the client consultation guidelines for rural clinic sessions. Students work in groups to begin to develop the TOT to train community health nurses..
Module 6 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students continue to work on the design and development of the TOT
Students review the Spanish Medical Terminology worksheet.
Module 7. Live Virtual Rural Clinic – 1 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Working with Ghanaian medical doctors and nurses, students work in rotation through stations focused on 1) triage, 2) medical consultations, 3) optometry and eye examinations, and 4) the pharmacy.
Module 7 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflections and observations from Rural Clinic Day 1.
Students continue to work on their group’s educational brochure for clinic patients.
Module 8: Live Virtual Rural Clinic – 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Working with Ghanaian medical doctors and nurses, students continue to work in rotation through stations focused on 1) triage, 2) medical consultations, 3) optometry and eye examinations, and 4) the pharmacy.
Module 8 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflections and observations from Rural Clinic Day 2.
.Student groups submit their TOT presentation for feedback
Module 9: Training of Trainers presentation to the Community Health Nurses (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students present their Training of Trainers (TOT) to the Community health nurses for use in their communities.
Module 9 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Student groups submit their final version of the TOT ´presentations and materials
Module 10: Final Reflections (Contact time: 2 hour est.)
Student reflect on the overall experience of the Program.
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