2019 Jamaica Inter-professional Service Trip

“I learned more in one week then I could have learn(ed) in any other manner…”

~MSN student, March 2016

Do YOU value creative and meaningful service learning experiences for students seeking degrees in Nursing or Occupational Therapy?

Do YOU think healthcare professionals should enter the workforce with an understanding of the social determinants of health and wellness?

Do YOU wish that health professionals had the tools to work together to break down social justice barriers that prevent patient access to adequate healthcare, locally and globally?

We Do! But we need your help!

Salem State University’s School of Nursing (SON) has offered a short-term service learning/cultural immersion trip each March for the past three years. In the spring of 2018, the SON invited the Occupational Therapy (OT) department to expand the study abroad opportunity as an inter-professional collaboration. It was an extremely successful learning experience for all!  We need your help to offer a similar inter-professional short term study abroad experience for our SON and OT students for Spring, 2019.

Cultural immersion and global learning have been shown to expand cultural awareness, improve inter-cultural communication skills, improve the provision of culturally congruent care, foster advocacy skills, foster reflective ethical practice, and promote understanding of the social determinants of health and social justice in nursing and occupational therapy students.  This trip provides a unique opportunity for nursing and occupational therapy students to gain critical knowledge and skills that foster improved patient care and health outcomes. Additionally, there is emerging evidence that inter-professional education positively influences the provision of patient care.

This trip is only possible through robust faculty and student-led fundraising efforts and the generous donations from family, friends, alumni, and other constituents who value creative and meaningful learning experiences sponsored by Salem State University. We are grateful for any and all donations.