My Global Journey
Enrolling in the England study abroad trip was the first step in my journey to becoming a global citizen. While I aspire to be a person with firsthand knowledge and experiences of other cultures, I have not yet traveled in a way that I felt was a culturally immersive experience. My previous trips to other countries have been for family vacations, which did not necessarily expose me to the unique differences of other cultures, traditions, and ways of life. I feel passionately that I should expand my horizons, get out of my comfort zone, and truly experience the vast world around me, and I believe that this trip is a wonderful opportunity to start.
With my passion for nursing comes an additional passion for health care, and how I can best become an integral member of this system. Ultimately, I want to transform the lives of others through my work in the nursing field. I have loved my past clinical placements in different hospital and community settings here in Ohio, yet I long to experience what nursing care looks like outside of the United States. England is a great place to start this global journey as it is still a well-developed country, yet different in the way that its health care system is run. I am eager to learn more about how this affects the actual patient care in England as compared to here in the United States.
The foreign experiences that we will encounter in England will undoubtedly be helpful to me from a professional standpoint. To achieve success in my career, I will need a thorough understanding of how others best respond to care, and this includes people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. I am striving to go beyond my necessary curriculum to acquire further skills in caring for all types of patients. This experience will give me the opportunity to apply what I have learned thus far in a different setting and country, which will help to diversify my skills as a future nurse.
During the trip, I will utilize the same qualities that have benefited me throughout the nursing program, such as critical thinking, curiosity, positivity, and therapeutic communication. I love to meet new people and work with others as a member of a team, which will be helpful for our group. Maintaining positive relationships and a collaborative environment are extremely important in group settings, so I believe this will contribute to our capability of successfully impacting the patients we meet in England.
Image retrieved from https://www.visitbritain.com/us/en/england/northern-england/chester