Julia Molleston is an honors student from Fayetteville, Arkansas currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in nursing. She was awarded an Honors College Study Abroad Grant to spend a semester in Ireland in the summer between her junior and senior years as part of the Health Care and Social Services in Ireland program.
Visiting the Cliffs of Moher on the eastern coast of the Republic of Ireland.
I studied abroad in Ireland for two and a half weeks because I wanted to experience the health culture of a country that utilizes a public healthcare system. As part of the Health Care and Social Services in Ireland program, I spent one week in Limerick, one week in Galway and four days in Dublin.
I have an interest in working as an international travel nurse in Europe, and Ireland is one of the countries I’m considering, as there would be no language barrier. This was the perfect program to allow me to observe the Health Service Executive (HSE), Ireland’s publicly funded healthcare system.
The group I traveled with learned about the daily life of both healthcare users and providers in a variety of settings. We were also encouraged to take advantage of academic and social cultural opportunities, which provided an invaluable addition to our time in the classroom. I hope to use these experiences in Ireland to guide my future as a professional with an interest in living abroad.
During my study abroad trip, some moments that stood out to me were those that encouraged collaboration between the interprofessional majors in my group. We had pre-medical, pre-occupational therapy, psychology, social work and nursing students on the trip, and after visiting different sites we compared what we observed and learned based on our different medical/social service backgrounds. This was an amazing way to get insight into how another professional views an organization or the style of healthcare being provided to residents, patients, and students around Ireland. Through these collaborations as a group, we were better able to appreciate different professional perspectives.
I believe there is nothing more valuable to academic and personal growth than visiting other cultures and increasing cultural competency. If someone is considering study abroad options, I would recommend choosing a program longer than you think you are comfortable with. If you think two weeks is good, go for the month-long trip. If you are interested in a 6-week trip, apply for the semester.
Prepare to be challenged—by strangers, environments and situations. But allow the challenges to teach you to be comfortable in the uncomfortable while growing as professionals, humans, and friends.