University of Wisconsin Oshkosh professor Alfred Kisubi has an ulterior motive every time he teaches “Seminar of Globalization: Africa’s Experience.”

The study-abroad course, which exposes College of Education and Human Services students to the socio-cultural, economic, historical and geo-political implications of globalization in an African country, was first offered at UW Oshkosh in 2005. Since then, Kisubi has led four groups of students to Uganda and two groups to Kenya.

In spring 2010, the University’s ties to Uganda were tightened when Patti VanderLoop and Jill Collier, assistant professors in the College of Nursing, brought 13 UWO nursing students to Uganda.

Andrea Jurgilanis holds twin girls whose cesarean birth she attended and whom she helped resuscitate. She and her fellow UW Oshkosh nursing students learned to adapt to limited resources and equipment while engaging in a “clinicals abroad” experience in Uganda.

“Clinicals are a time when students get actual, hands-on experience in different patient settings,” said VanderLoop, who has taught at UW Oshkosh for 17 years. “The clinicals for Uganda focused on community health — promoting health and wellness in different populations.”

Lindsey Walker, a senior nursing student at UW Oshkosh had never been out of the United States before. She was inspired to sign up for the study abroad after hearing professor VanderLoop’s recounts of visiting Uganda.

Walker and her fellow UW Oshkosh students worked in hospitals with Busoga University nursing students. They also participated in clinic outreach programs focusing on prenatal care and went to urban and rural schools to teach hygiene and how to prevent and recognize the signs of river blindness, which is caused by bacteria carried by a black fly.

In addition to the students’ time and energy — the three-credit course entailed 126 clinical hours — UW Oshkosh faculty and students brought much-needed supplies. Students collected donations to purchase vision screening tools, and the group also brought medical supplies, textbooks, school supplies, toothbrushes, soap and 500 pairs of glasses donated by Wisconsin Lions International.

Walker said she gained confidence in approaching people from other cultures, but the most rewarding aspect for Walker was seeing the impact of their work.

“When we first got there, the nurses didn’t use any kind of comfort measures for women in labor, so we showed them how to rub patients’ backs and taught them breathing exercises and new positions to relieve pressure in the back,” Walker said.

“Before we left, we saw some of the nurses applying those techniques. We actually made an impact,” she said.

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