Nursing students from Seoul attend HPU 'English for Nurses' Program

Article by Barbara Hannum, Director, Intercultural Education Programs

Working in the SIM Lab

When it comes to helping others and possibly saving lives, some human qualities appear to be universal: empathy, compassion, willingness to assist, and the ability to respond in an emergency with appropriate skills and knowledge. But can you do this in a language other than your own?!

Fifteen courageous young nursing students from Seoul Women’s College of Nursing were willing to try! For one month this summer, from July 11 to August 5, 2016, these women participated in a customized, content-based “English for Nurses” short-term group program at Hawai‘i Pacific University. It was designed to increase knowledge in areas of nursing and, at the same time, build fluency in English language skills.

The program consisted of classes taught by HPU TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) faculty in medical vocabulary, nurse-patient interaction, and special topics in nursing. TESOL student assistants and Center for Academic Success tutors provided support and encouragement in afternoon fluency-building workshops and conversation sessions, which were  related to topics of health and nursing.

Several HPU Nursing faculty shared presentations on topics such as Ethnicities in Hawai‘i and the Impact on Health, Transcultural Nursing, and Nursing Education in the U.S. and at HPU. The students also observed an HPU Nursing course in Obstetrics where they had the opportunity to interact with the instructor and HPU nursing students. A highlight of their immersion experience was the chance to work in the Sim Lab with HPU faculty, staff, and members of HPU Student Nurses Association. For most of them, this was their first exposure to such simulation technology and the various medical scenarios such as childbirth, tracheotomy, heart defibrillation, and even the urgency of a “code blue.” HPU’s Head Athletics Trainer also provided a presentation about sports medicine with hands-on exposure to various athletics training tools and rehab equipment.

Program participants with HPU Head Athletic Trainer (front row, white polo shirt) and HPU Program Director Barbara Hannum (yellow blouse, far right)

In addition to their classes and special events on campus, they enjoyed experiential learning and some memorable off-campus site visits to Kuakini Medical Center, Pearl Harbor, and Hawaii State Hospital, where they took a day-long certification course in CPR, AED, and Basic Life Skills (BLS).

This is the second summer program for participants from Seoul Women’s College of Nursing. The program is offered through the Department of English and Applied Linguistics in the College of Liberal Arts, under the direction of Barbara Hannum.

Please contact Hannum at bhannum@hpu.edu for more details about this or other short-term group programs at HPU.