William Paterson University Nursing Students Participated in Medical Mission to Haiti from January 4 to 10, 2016

Nursing students were part of a team of volunteers who provided basic health care

From left: WP Nursing students Grace Gil and Lynda Amici, and volunteer Amanda Lynne

William Paterson University nursing students Grace Gil and Lynda Amici traveled to Haiti from January 4 to 10, 2016 as part of a team of 41 volunteers on a medical mission to provide basic health care.

Working with an organization called Foundation for Peace, this marks the fifth consecutive year that University students, members of Iota Alpha, a local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society, have taken part in this mission.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for our nursing students to provide aid to the people of Haiti by doing basic medical screenings,” says Nadine M. Aktan, professor and chair of nursing at William Paterson. “Participating in a medical mission to Haiti is a life-changing experience that can enhance nursing skills beyond any lesson learned in a classroom.”

The volunteers distributed health kits containing toothbrushes, toothpaste band aids, soap, washcloths, and hand sanitizers as well as clothes and other donated items. During their time there, they also attended a memorial church service dedicated to the lives lost in the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti.