Monthly Archives: May 2016

Friend with us on facebook

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Dear faculty, staff, students, family, and friends,

Do you want to know the most updated informtion about our trip? Do you want to learn about our safety and experience? Do you want to browse real-time pictures of our cultural excursions? and Do you want to enjoy the delicious Chinese food with us? Please friend with us on the facebook. I have set up a public facebook page  “UMass Lowell Global Health Experience in China.” Search the group name on your facebook account and join in our group.

We look forward to seeing you both here and there!

Professor Yuan Zhang

Welcome to China – have a safe trip

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Yuan picture 2SHANDONG

I am professor Yuan Zhang. This is my first time bring American students to China. Arranging both academic and cultural experience outside of US takes tons of effort and time, very very busy but most excited. It is my greatest pleasure to make connections and collaborations between UMass Lowell and Shandong University, where I graduated with my BS and MS degrees. Shandong University (top 20 universities in China) School of Nursing, is a top 10 School of Nursing in China and one of the earliest schools that started the BS degree in Nursing in 1980s. The School of Nursing will host us and arrange activities such as university visit, student seminars, hospital observatory and participatory experience, and cultural excursions.

Shandong Province is nestled on the Yellow River. Qufu, one of the cities in Shandong, is the birthplace of Confucious. Shandong plays an important role in Chinese history and serves as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shandong’s Tai Mountain, where we will tour on Sunday 6/5, is top of the five sacred mountains in China and the most revered mountain of Taoism with the longest history of continuous religious worship. Shandong people are friendly and hospitable. Shandong food and snacks are famous and delicious. I hope that you will enjoy the natural beauty, renowned hospitality, and treasured history of Shandong during your trip.

Welcome to China, everyone – Have a safety trip tomorrow!

Two More Days Until We Embark

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imageHi Everyone! My name is Nicole Hamel and I just graduated with my B.S. from the Nursing program. It is crazy to think that the start to our trip is just two days away! There is still so much to do before we embark, including packing, which knowing me I will do Monday night before we leave. Even though I just graduated, I am what you would call an experienced world traveler. I have been to probably 15 plus countries in my lifetime; it’s hard to keep track of them all. I truly have wanderlust. Before deciding to go to school for nursing, I traveled the world for a year doing community service and performing with a group called Up with People. My travels did take me to Asia, The Philippines to be exact, but I have only ever had a layover in China for a mere 45 minutes. So as you can tell I am extremely excited to go back to Asia and finally experience China and its culture.

I am someone who enjoys culture and learning about the different ways people live their lives. What excites me most about this trip is the fact that not only do I get to learn about Chinese culture, but I get to learn about Chinese healthcare. We have always been taught in school “You must always be mindful of cultural differences.” The problem is even though we are taught about them, we never truly understand them because unless we have had a patient experience, we never see the differences. This trip is exactly that. It is allowing each and everyone of us to experience the differences. It is going to allow us all to become more culturally aware and it is going to make us better nurses in the long run. I am always looking for new ways to expand my knowledge and become more of a global citizen and the only way to truly do that is to visit other countries and spend time in their communities.

From looking at the itinerary, this is going to be a jam packed trip. I will be experiencing China, celebrating my 23rd birthday, and also studying to take my NCLEX. I have a plan to do 100+ questions a day while I am there on top of everything else we will be doing. But I am READY. Two more days!

Leaving in a few days

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Val with dark backgroundThe Spring semester is over but the summer semester, Global Health Experience, is about to begin. Our journey starts on May 24, 2016 with an early flight to Toronto and then on to Beijing. We arrive in Beijing the next afternoon around 4 pm.
The coordinators of the trip, myself, Valerie King and Yuan Zhang are faculty in the School of Nursing at UMass Lowell. This is my 5th trip taking students on international experiences ( Ghana 2009-2011) and Chile (2013). This is Yuan’s first trip with students but she is from China and will serve as our ambassador for this trip. Please follow along with us and check back often at this BLOG site for some stories and photos.
Traveling with us are 2 recent BS graduates – Nicole and Lucky. Three RN-BS program graduates – Sylvia, Nadine and Barbara. Two MS -NP students- Kathleen and Kristen. One PhD student – Amy
It will be a fascinating trip and we will have many stories to share.
Valerie King – Clinical Assistant Professor – UMass Lowell School of Nursing

Hello world!

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Global Health Experience in…Beijing & Jinan, China!

Travel and study with Professors Valerie King and Yuan Zhang in China in the summer of 2016.

The Summer Palace in China.

The Summer Palace in China.

This course introduces students to global health issues through experiential learning in another country. Students will have the opportunity to critically examine the interaction of culture, race, geography, economics, and political environments and their impact on the health of the citizens of China.

Communication strategies to promote cross-cultural understanding will be stressed.

This course is essential for students seeking to expand their knowledge and experience in cross-cultural care.

Wangfujing Street in Beijing, China.

Wangfujing Street in Beijing, China.

The Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China