During our stay in Nicaragua we were able to form relationships with both the nursing students of UPOLI and the members of the La Libertad community. These partnerships made it possible to bring health education to different members of the community. Our main goal of educating the individuals of La Libertad was to give them the knowledge and empowerment needed to lead healthier lives.
We were able to bring health education to the elderly women of the community by holding a group session at CAESC, a community center set up by UPOLI students. We held similar sessions with three different age groups at a local private school. In both of these settings we identified the key health priorities and prepared our presentations accordingly. Some of the health topics we covered were nutrition, diabetes, stress, self-esteem, dental hygiene and sexual health.
Lastly, we spent a large majority of our trip working directly with three families in the community. We implemented health education interventions that catered to each family’s individual needs and health priorities. On our last day we held a health fair for the families to both evaluate and reinforce the education we delivered throughout the week. It was very apparent that the individuals we encountered during our stay were eager to learn about ways they could improve their health but lacked some very basic knowledge. It is our hope that the community will utilize some of our teachings and will be able to make healthier choices that will impact their overall wellbeing.
- Lauren Sietsma, ABSN student