International 服务 Trips
Follow our 牙买加 Trip 2024 Blog!
Juniors 和 seniors in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program 和 Social Work majors have the opportunity to attend an international service trip during spring break.
These annual trips began in 2006 with two nursing students — growing to 28 nursing students by 2015 — 和 in the past, have taken place in the Dominican Republic 和 Haiti.
In recent years, BSN 和 Social Work majors have traveled together to 牙买加 as part of an interdisciplinary elective course called Interprofessional Global Outreach. The goal of the course is to prepare future healthcare providers 和 professionals to work together as a team to improve patient 和 population health care.
学生s fundraise to support the trip. More information will be provided to you in your nursing 和 social work classes.
2023 Trip to 牙买加's Mustard Seed Community
This year, Nursing 和 Social Work students returned to 牙买加 to support the Mustard Seed Community.
Social Work major Delaney Mitchell '24 shares her experience below.
"My experience with the Mustard Seed Community has been life-changing, 和 I will forever hold these people 和 experiences in my heart. It was humbling 和 empowering at the same time. It’s truly a unique experience 和 honestly very hard to put into words. We were welcomed with open arms by everyone we met, 和 it was amazing to be immersed in 牙买加n culture 和 treated like family.
The topic of [my group's] research project is positive behavior reinforcement. I focused specifically on the physical tools 和 methods that can be utilized in supporting positive behaviors, such as sensory objects, 视觉教具, 和 reinforcement schedules. We did a sensory activity with the caregivers that I helped design, 和 it was amazing to see the items create a positive impact on the community.
I was already in love with Social Work before, but this trip truly opened my eyes 和 reinforced that this is the major for me. I was able to utilize the skills I’ve learned so far 和 made a real impact on the people around me.
I feel excited for my future in the field, 和 I’m appreciative of my education at GMercyU in preparing me for my career 和 trips like this."
2022 Trip to 牙买加's Mustard Seed Community
During Spring Break 2022, GMercyU undergraduate Nursing 和 Social Work students traveled to the Mustard Seed Community in 牙买加 for one week, where they provided local caregivers with evidence-based training tailored to their specific community needs. Mustard Seed Communities is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing care to the developing world’s most vulnerable populations. The organization works with children 和 adults with various disabilities to provide loving 和 lifelong care.
学生s provided training to caregivers within the community that is grounded on evidence-based practice. They also had collaborated with other disciplines 和 professions, all while immersing themselves in the 牙买加n culture. By the end of the trip, students formed strong connections with the residents after their many interactions, 和 assisted in a health clinic.