MONROE - Two Monroe natives now in nursing school recently returned to Wisconsin after three weeks in India, and they're planning to bring what they learned there about community health practices to their hometown hospital.
Natalie Huber and Megan DeNure will graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh nursing program in May. They'll be doing the last four weeks of their program at Monroe Clinic, with Huber in the Intensive Care Unit and DeNure in the ER.
"I'm excited to tell them about my experience in India," said Huber, who interned at Monroe Clinic last summer.
The two friends, along with 26 other students and three professors, were in Chennai, Rishakesh and New Delhi between Dec. 27 and Jan. 19. The trip was part of community health clinic required by the UW-Oshkosh nursing program - students can choose to spend the time in the Oshkosh area or, depending on the time of year, in Peru or India.
"It was definitely a culture shock going there," DeNure said. The most immediate shock for her and Huber was experiencing the crowded, anarchic streets.
"When people are driving, it's a free-for-all. I think I saw five people on one moped, with no helmets, carrying a baby," DeNure said.
Another difference to American culture they noticed was the Indian tradition of the young taking care of their parents.
"In India, they don't have nursing homes. Everyone takes care of their parents," Huber said.
She and DeNure were impressed by how welcoming the people were, always offering to make food, coffee or tea for guests, no matter how unexpected or unknown. "They'd make our group of 30 kids a meal," Huber said. "I love that aspect of their culture. I wish our culture was more (like that)."
The lack of resources in some of the villages opened DeNure's and Huber's eyes to the resourcefulness required to provide community health services. Instead of relying on lab tests, the students learned to check tongues and under eyelids for signs of anemia. They even performed urine tests outdoors on a Bunsen burner.
"You have to use all your resources when you're out in the community," Huber said.
The students were also impressed by the emphasis on holistic healing, including meditation and yoga.
"It can be a way to reduce the amount of medication someone has to use," Huber said, adding that she wants to someday incorporate such methods into her own care of patients.
She and DeNure are still processing the experience, but ultimately they said what sticks with them most are the people they met and the connections they forged across cultural barriers by holding hands, singing songs and giving hugs.
"Even just going and holding someone's hand is therapeutic. It's more than just the medicine," DeNure said.
Natalie Huber and Megan DeNure will graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh nursing program in May. They'll be doing the last four weeks of their program at Monroe Clinic, with Huber in the Intensive Care Unit and DeNure in the ER.
"I'm excited to tell them about my experience in India," said Huber, who interned at Monroe Clinic last summer.
The two friends, along with 26 other students and three professors, were in Chennai, Rishakesh and New Delhi between Dec. 27 and Jan. 19. The trip was part of community health clinic required by the UW-Oshkosh nursing program - students can choose to spend the time in the Oshkosh area or, depending on the time of year, in Peru or India.
"It was definitely a culture shock going there," DeNure said. The most immediate shock for her and Huber was experiencing the crowded, anarchic streets.
"When people are driving, it's a free-for-all. I think I saw five people on one moped, with no helmets, carrying a baby," DeNure said.
Another difference to American culture they noticed was the Indian tradition of the young taking care of their parents.
"In India, they don't have nursing homes. Everyone takes care of their parents," Huber said.
She and DeNure were impressed by how welcoming the people were, always offering to make food, coffee or tea for guests, no matter how unexpected or unknown. "They'd make our group of 30 kids a meal," Huber said. "I love that aspect of their culture. I wish our culture was more (like that)."
The lack of resources in some of the villages opened DeNure's and Huber's eyes to the resourcefulness required to provide community health services. Instead of relying on lab tests, the students learned to check tongues and under eyelids for signs of anemia. They even performed urine tests outdoors on a Bunsen burner.
"You have to use all your resources when you're out in the community," Huber said.
The students were also impressed by the emphasis on holistic healing, including meditation and yoga.
"It can be a way to reduce the amount of medication someone has to use," Huber said, adding that she wants to someday incorporate such methods into her own care of patients.
She and DeNure are still processing the experience, but ultimately they said what sticks with them most are the people they met and the connections they forged across cultural barriers by holding hands, singing songs and giving hugs.
"Even just going and holding someone's hand is therapeutic. It's more than just the medicine," DeNure said.