Nursing students hone skills abroad

Nine members of the VCU chapter of Nursing Students Without Borders (NSWB) traveled to Central America in January to provide health screenings and educational outreach for rural populations in the highlands of Guatemala.

With a focus on primary prevention, the students provided lectures and screenings on diabetes, filled out health passports for villagers and helped educate people about the importance of hydration in children as well as how to spot early warning signs of dehydration. In one village, teams split off into pairs and helped five families build stoves for their households due to the large number of upper-respiratory problems associated with cooking over open fires.

“I don’t think I will ever meet a more amazing group of women than those that joined me on this trip, those that made this trip possible and those I met in Guatemala working hard to empower their communities,” said VCU’s NSWB President Danielle Viggiani. “It was an unforgettable experience, one I plan to have NSWB be a part of again next year.”

Photo courtesy of Kate Bower