Nursing Faculty Plan Service Trip to Ghana for CSM Students

College of Saint Mary nursing students will have an opportunity to take a transformative journey to Ghana, where they will participate in a service trip focused on providing healthcare support in local clinics. The immersive experience, set for May 18-25, will allow participants to apply their skills and build meaningful cross-cultural connections while positively impacting communities in need.

Nursing faculty members Tracey Toney, EdD, RN, and Alejandra Gonzalez-Cabrera, PhD, RN, planned the trip after completing a site visit in the West African country in June with Global Brigades. Both are passionate about studying abroad and service learning globally.

“It makes for a better nurse when you can experience other cultures, especially dealing with those who are under-resourced,” Toney said. “We are in rural communities that have no access to healthcare. For every one volunteer, 55 patients receive care.”

Participants will fly into the Kotoka International Airport in the capital, Accra, where they’ll meet the staff and travel to their home base in the historic town of Cape Coast. After a day of preparation, participants will travel to the clinic sites in the Central Region to provide healthcare services and access to medications to community members. Students will rotate between stations, shadow doctors and interact with patients.

While Ghana's official language is English, some people speak the native language.

“They are going to put a call out to the communities. These people may walk for hours to get to these pop-up clinics,” Toney said. “We may see those who speak the native language, which might be a barrier. But we do have staff on site who can help translate.”

“Communication is so important in nursing,” Gonzalez-Cabrera added. “You won’t always be able to care for people who look like you and have the same beliefs and traditions. I think that’s important.”

At the end of each day, the students will attend a session to reflect on their work. “Reflection on each day helps build their critical thinking skills,” Toney said. “They can reflect on their day, their work, and how it impacts these communities.”

In addition to the clinics, the students will spend a day touring the Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They will also experience a cultural dance.

The professors said their goal is to have at least 15 nursing students attend. However, they have opened the trip to any undergraduate or graduate student, faculty member, or staff member who wants to go. The cost is $3,850, which includes airfare, lodging, travel insurance, transportation, meals, the tour, and dance. Participants must have a passport, visa and a yellow fever vaccine.

For more information, contact Toney at TToney [at] csm.edu or Gonzalez-Cabrera at ACabrera [at] csm.edu. An informational meeting will be held soon.