Community & Business
19 September, 2023
International nursing students get taste of Clifton
Clifton Community Health Services (CCHS) was thrilled to host a group of Nursing students from the National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences in their inaugural international exchange program.
The purpose of the exchange was to foster relationships between the University and CCHS with the goals of:
Building the profile of CCHS as a centre of excellence, creating bonds with a potential candidate pool of clinical staff.
Offer cross cultural learning and social opportunities for inter-national students as well as our own team.
Enrich the lives of consumers and the broader Clifton community through engagement with people from around the world.
The students had completed a comprehensive nursing training program with internships in medical-surgical, maternity, paediatrics, and psychiatric nursing, however their international healthcare experience was still limited.
By spending time at CCHS they gained knowledge about nursing practice Australia and learnt how care is provided for rural communities through residential aged care, hospital, community health and medical centre business units. They were also able to enhance their knowledge and observe the exceptional care given to CCHS consumers and improve their own care-giving skills.
The students arrived in Clifton on Monday 31 July and were welcomed to the community at a dinner function where they met members of CCHS team, Clifton Hospital Auxiliary and Board as well as residential aged care consumers.
They were treated to a home-cooked barbecue dinner and given a welcome package that was put together by the Clifton Hospital Auxiliary and presented to the students by Anne Pedersen.
Residing in the on-site nurse’s accommodation which was given a make-over for the occasion, the students were rostered to work across the various areas of the facility and spent time working with the team in the Nursing Home, Hospital and Medical Centre as well as the Creative Lifestyle team.
Dr Franco was gracious enough to spend time with each of the girls and allow them to observe and assist with procedures performed in the CMP treatment room.
The students were matched with residents across the facility who were their special companions throughout their stay, sharing meals and spending time getting to know each other and swapping stories, as well as performing a concert for the residents, singing a selection of music including traditional Chinese and Taiwanese songs.
Several social outings were undertaken over the weekend of the students’ visit including a visit to Toowoomba Farmers Markets, Cobb and Co Museum, Darling Downs Zoo, and several farms in the area where the students were thrilled to get up close and personal with sheep, cattle, and horses.
The students reported that there were so many highlights to their visit however several stand out moments were: observing procedures with Dr Franco and Audra (EN) at the medical centre, spending time with the residents, laying on the grass at Queens Park (apparently this is not allowed in Taipei), riding a horse at Haydn O’Leary’s property, naming Neil and Judy Wilson’s new-born calf ‘Nuria’ and observing the love and compassion that the CCHS team shows to its consumers.
Their only disappointment was that they did not get to see a kangaroo ‘in the wild’, only at the zoo and not so alive on the side of the road.
Departing CCHS on the 10 August, the students had nothing but praise for their time at CCHS, having furthered their learning experience in practice and the care and compassion that is so vital to nursing.
Before departing the students donated $1000 to CCHS on behalf of the National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences and vowed to be an advocate for other students to take part in future exchange programs.
“A huge thank you to everyone who assisted during the students stay at CCHS, it was wonderful to see how lovingly the CCHS and Clifton community embraced the students and made them feel so welcome,” a CCHS spokesperson said.
