Nursing students serve in Honduras

by Brendan Dugan

This past Spring Break, eleven Marian nursing students traveled to Honduras to provide “medical brigades” as a key part of the Healthcare Missions (NUR 316) course.

Throughout the week, the students provided much-needed medical care, taught preventative healthcare practices, such how to adequately clean water for consumption, and distributed clothing and shoes. The students also taught in Bible school and participated in Mass on the Sunday they arrived.

“We’d see anywhere from 75-150 patients a day,” said Barbara Blackford, Associate Professor of Nursing. “Every patient that we saw, we prayed with. As nurses, spirituality is a strong component [of our work]. The Franciscan values are very much grounded in this course.”

The course includes preparation for the stark, impoverished conditions of Honduras. The students nonetheless seemed struck by incredible lack of basic necessities and healthcare, and were touched by the resilience and faith of the
individuals they served.

“These people have nothing, while we have so many clothes and things we can just toss aside,” said Sarah Hoess. Others shared similar sentiments:

“I think it’s important to remember how much we have,” said Sarah Clark. During their presentation in early April, the eleven students indicated the humbling and transformative power of witnessing impoverishment and serving those affected by it.

“They have an appreciation for life more than we do,” said Nikki Lawson.

“We all love, we all suffer, we all want improvement in our lives. We’re all human,” said Mariana Velasquez.

The course is not restricted to nursing students; a student of any major may apply to the course, but must be accepted through an application process. Pre-med Biology majors and Theology students enrolled in years past. The course has taken students to Haiti for the three years prior to 2012, and the Dominican Republic approximately ten years ago.