Ten years ago, the Asia Pacific Rim Development Program sent the first group of nursing students from UNMC to China. Almost seventy students from the College of Nursing have participated in the program since then. They have gone to UNMC’s Chinese partner institutions Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine (also in Shanghai), and Xi’an Jiaotong University (in the city of Xi’an in central China). Nursing students may soon have the chance to study in Beijing as well – Chancellor Gold recently signed an agreement with Capital Medical University in Beijing, which is considered one of the top medical schools in China.
This February and March eight students from UNMC's College of Nursing traveled to China. Two went to Shanghai Jiao Tong, two went to Tongji, and four went to Xi’an Jiaotong.
Amber Gerweck and Capri Juilfs, two nursing students from UNMC, kindly answered my questions about their time at Tongji University. They began their rotation there on February 29, and their last day will be March 18. While there they visited (or will visit) 14 departments including Nursing, Nephrology, Neurology, Traditional Chinese Medicine, the intensive care unit, and the operating room.
Why did you choose to do an international rotation in China?
We both chose China as our destination for international study to experience a culture extremely different from ours. We have both traveled in Europe and we were looking for a new experience. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was the main thing that drew us to China. Acupuncture, cupping, and herbal treatments are very interesting to the both of us and we wanted to learn more!
What is the most interesting thing that you have learned/done while there?
We have learned so many things here! We have been comparing the similarities and differences between nursing care in America to China. Surprisingly, we have found there to be many similarities. Again learning about TCM has been by far the most interesting experience. We learned not only about each procedure, but what it is used for, how it is done and we even got to practice cupping on each other!
What differences/similarities do you notice between nursing practice/hospitals in China and UNMC?
The biggest difference that leads to some of the other differences is the number of patients. They have so many patients in the hospital! I simply cannot explain how many patients there are. In Nebraska we may have 1 to 2 patients per room, but here they have 6-8 patients per room. This leads to other differences like the level of privacy they receive. HIPAA is not a law here, so we have been able to take pictures at any time (in fact, patients have asked to take pictures with us). Another major difference is that the family takes care of the patients’ "life needs" or activities of daily living. In Nebraska we have nursing assistants that help the patients go to the bathroom, bathe, or walk in the hallways. Here in China, the families do all of these things for the patients.
Some of the similarities would be that the nurses are very knowledgeable, just like the nurses in the United States. There is a high expectation for nurses here and I would say the same for nurses in Nebraska. The nursing assessment of the patient is the same, as well as the tools they use to assess. For example, in the ICU if a patient is sedated and we want to assess for delirium we use "CAM-ICU" as a way to assess for delirium and they use the same thing in China. We have also found that research topics are the same and they have the same questions we do in America about patient care.
What does a typical day look like for you while there? (If you had a "typical" day, that is!)
The nurses only work 8-hour shifts here, but we do not follow a shift schedule. Instead they set up a schedule for us to follow and our day is from 9 am to 4 pm. It takes us about 45 minutes to get to the hospital from the university, so we have to catch the bus early. Then we get to see whichever unit we are on that day and how they work. We observe nurses and they answer any questions we have. We have lunch at 12 and then we "rest" (have a break) until 1:30. Next we return to the floor and many times we have very interesting conversations with the nurses. They ask us questions about nurses in Nebraska and we ask them questions. Since we are on a different unit each day we often answer the same questions, but at least we have answers prepared!
You have done rotations in a lot of different departments. Has one stood out for you or are you looking forward to one in particular? If so, why?
Again the TCM has stood out the most. We just had this today! It was amazing and so unique. We have been anxiously awaiting this experience and we were so happy to have it today.
What did you do when you weren't at the hospital?
When we aren't at the hospital we like to explore. We find different areas of the city, or find a beautiful park. Most things close at 5 so we cannot go to the museum or the zoo. We love our time exploring the city on the weeknights. One evening we were invited to dinner by a student from Dubai and he cooked for us at his apartment. This student will be traveling to UNMC as a medical student in April, so we cannot wait to repay him by hosting a dinner when he gets to Nebraska. We have also had supper with some faculty that visited Shanghai while we were here.
On the weekends we go to the tourist areas and see Museums, the Shanghai Zoo, Yuyuan Gardens, People's square, and the Bund (a waterfront area) all in Shanghai. We even took a day trip to an ancient water or canal city called Suzhou.
How will your time in Shanghai affect your future nursing practice?
I think that our time in China has prepared us for the unexpected. We had to adapt to a new country, new culture, and different time zone very quickly. No matter how much you try, you can't prepare for everything. I think being able to adapt to a changing environment will be extremely beneficial as a nurse. Also simply having the time to really think things through and have deep conversations allows you to be introspective and challenge personal beliefs, and this can lead to anyone feeling more confident in themselves. I also think this experience will help me to provide more culturally competent care for the patients.
Why would you recommend this rotation to other nursing students?
I would definitely recommend this opportunity to any nursing student. It is a great experience where you not only get to travel to another country, but also experience another nursing culture and expand your nursing knowledge in another country.
UNMC also hosts a number of nursing exchange students from a variety of countries. Since 2006, UNMC has hosted more than 60 students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Tongji University School of Medicine. Next week I will highlight the experiences of some of these students!