Just this past summer, a trip of a lifetime was taken by Longwood nursing students Sarah Callaway and Amber Hare. Where did they go, exactly? The small, Latin American country of Honduras. The trip was run through the Richmond-based Friends of Barnabas Foundation (FOBF), who sponsored some volunteers through the Farmville United Methodist Church, the church Student Health & Wellness Center's Registered Nurse Patti Wagner attends.
The organization sends volunteers on trips, this one in particular being to Honduras, planned to provide care for those in need to the many villages in the country. Joining Wagner, Callaway, and Hare was Dr. Hadley Sporbert, nursing instructor in Longwood's nursing program. These four, along with other volunteers, were away from June 18-26, traveling through various villages and providing care to some individuals that had not seen a doctor in years.
This was Callaway's mission trip, which was her first medical-based trip in which they focused on preventative health care for the people in the villages by utilizing what they had learned in the classroom. Callaway added that she hoped the program will eventually have a process and be a part of the nursing program, which would allow other nursing students to take advantage of the opportunity to travel and use their skill.
When asked what it was like to be able to apply what she had learned in the classroom to a real-life situation, Callaway responded, "Incredible. A little overwhelming at first because the culture is so different, especially with the language barrier, but it gave us a chance to use our assessment skills like we do in class. And it was great working alongside other professors."
She added although the language barrier was tricky, the translators the group worked with were awesome and they had worked in the situation before. When asked if she would ever complete the trip again, Callaway smiled and said, "Yes, I would definitely do it again or something similar."
Wagner has been to Honduras 16 different times, and two of the villages they visited on this past trip were the same two she had visited beforehand. "It's always interesting," Wagner said when asked what it was like to interact with other people, especially those of a different culture. She explained that over time she has learned a lot about the Honduran culture. She also explained it was important for the team to keep in mind that they were down there as guests to serve them, not fix them.
Wagner said, "In nursing school, you talk a lot about being there for people. In situations from birth to death or to life-changing diagnoses, all of that. Nursing school, I guess, kind of prepares you for it, but being there and experiencing it is really what changes everything."
The trip turned out to be an opportunity for Longwood alums as well; Allie Dobson, '11, was present as a translator on the trip with three other Longwood alumni—two who work at Prince Edward County Schools, Sarah Norton and Kelly Shafer-- and Lisa Robinson.
Dobson said this visit was her first to South America. She admitted she was "scared out of her mind" at the thought of translating at first. However, she brushed up on her Spanish, and then not being on the ground 15 minutes before having to start, it all came back to her, like riding a bike. She explained the people there were very friendly, warm-hearted and grateful for their help. Dobson said if given the chance to do it again "I would be there the next day if I could."
