05/22/2026
Reflections of Nursing and Social Work Health Care Professionals 2026 Study Abroad
Education builds the knowledge foundation. Life experiences builds expertise ~ Dr. Sherri
Study abroad, service learning, and community engagement exist to bridge knowledge and lived experience—cultivating global awareness, compassion, and practical wisdom by learning with and from the world beyond the classroom.
Although our trip to Rwanda was cancelled due to Ebola concerns and ensuring our safety, the learning experience still occurred.
The real life experience taught nurses and social workers the dilemmas of health care professionals related to public health emergencies.
We processed moral injury and acts of omission, commission, and betrayal that can occur during a public health emergency that causes the ethical dilemma of choosing to serve others or protect your own health.
They lived the process of how a responsible organization makes leadership decisions based on being proactive and mitigating harm and prioritizing the safety of the health professional.
They experienced the personal emotional distress of disappointment. Yet, chose resilience in finding what could bring hope in the situation.
They experienced transdisciplinary care as nursing students wearing their psychiatric caps of compassion comforted their leaders and peers and the empathy of a social work student providing somatic and emotional care as she led a nursing student through a guided meditation of relaxation on a train ride to reduce our stress.
They learned that faculty practitioners are human. They get disappointed. They shed tears and give themselves grace to be real and authentic while also being professional and leaning into the arms of sisterhood.
They witnessed problem solving of how to still get the donations and supplies to Rwanda thru the social work alumni and community delegates.
They saw social work alumni practitioners process their decision to continue on the trip to Rwanda and the difference in personal
power of voice and choice and professional, and educational responsibilities.
They learned about how organizations rely on International SOS to assess international health and safety risk management.
They still were able to reset their “flopped” nervous systems with a healthy outcome and positive experience as they visited Brussels and Paris and engaged in culture, camaraderie, and compassion-centered self-care.
They had an amplified Simulation-based learning (SBL) real world experience in REAL time.
They came to know more of their “Y”and did so with poise, respect, and merciful acceptance.
We are all thankful to have experienced a diverse service learning, study abroad, and community engagement experience.
We are grateful for the supportive leadership of Youngstown State University. We are proud to be Health and Human Service Professionals (students and faculty) in the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services.
We thank EVERYONE who was a part of making a difference!
