HPU ‘English for Nurses’ Program Held July 3-28

By Barbara Hannum, Director, International Education Programs

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 a medical emergency with appropriate skills and knowledge. But could you do this in a language other than your own?!

Twenty-seven courageous young nursing students from four different Korean universities were willing to try! For one month this summer, from July 3-28, these 26 women and one man participated in a customized, content-based “English for Nurses” short-term group program 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 health and nursing. TESOL student assistants and Center for Academic Success tutors provided support and encouragement in afternoon fluency-building workshops and conversation sessions all related to topics of health, wellness, and the nursing profession.

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 advanced HPU Nursing course where they had the opportunity to experience what it might be like to be a nursing student here. They also enjoyed interacting over a pizza lunch with members of the HPU Student Nurses Association. A highlight of their immersion experience was the chance to work in the Simulation Lab with HPU faculty and staff; for most of them, this was their first exposure to such simulation technology and the various medical scenarios such as respiratory distress, childbirth, tracheotomy, heart defibrillation, and even the urgency of a “code blue”! HPU Head Athletics Trainer, Kelly Wescott, also provided a presentation about sports medicine with hands-on exposure to various athletics training tools and rehab equipment.

In addition to their classes and special events on campus, they enjoyed experiential learning and memorable off-campus site visits to Kuakini Medical Center, Castle Medical Wellness Center, Pearl Harbor, and Hawaii State Hospital where they participated in a day-long certification course in CPR, AED, and Basic Life Skills (BLS). They also enjoyed cultural activities like a hula workshop and ukulele lesson as part of their exposure to Hawaiian language and culture.

This is the third annual summer program for participants from Seoul Women’s College of Nursing, and the first for students from Kwangyang Health College, U1 University, and JEI University.

The program is offered through the Dept. of English and Applied Linguistics in the College of Liberal Arts under the direction of Barbara Hannum. Please contact Barbara at bhannum@hpu.edu for more details about this or other short-term group programs at HPU.