University of Tasmania nursing students ‘make a difference’ in Nepal with accessible healthcare

University of Tasmania nursing students are on a mission to make healthcare more accessible in Nepal. But they need your help >

L-R Holly Sluijter, Maggie Roberts, Ellie Thunder, Jess Dobbie, Jasmine Downham, Claudia Gaffney, Molly Browning. UTAS Bachelor of Nursing students who are heading off to Nepal to do health care work. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Driven by a passion to make a difference in the world, a group of nursing students are about to improve healthcare accessibility in Nepal.

After a rigorous application process, about 15 nursing students from the University of Tasmania were selected to go on a life changing three-week professional placement.

The fast-tracked second year students will work at a hospital in Kathmandu, run health clinics, educate schoolchildren and teach CPR to other nurses and students in Nepal.

“We triage and use our skills that we’ve worked hard to cultivate over the last couple of years, but this is the first time we’re going to be making such a difference,” student nurse Jess Dobbie said.

Two months ago, the group started raising thousands of dollars which will go towards health access to locals in Nepal when they arrive in early April.

Jess Dobbie. UTAS Bachelor of Nursing students who are heading off to Nepal to do health care work. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“We’ve been working really hard to fundraise money to go towards rural health camps,” Ms Dobbie said.

Student nurse Maggie Roberts added: “It’s an opportunity for them to get a once over by us and referred on to a doctor if we think there’s something that we need escalated.

“We all take it really for granted here. If we need health care, we just call an ambulance or pop down to the hospital, whereas they don’t have that there. There’s people living with chronic health conditions that they’ve never had addressed before because they just don’t have the access to health care.”

Student nurse Molly Browning said all the money raised goes back into the community, with more funds raised going towards more health camps.

“We’re really trying to push having more conversations in schools, especially about celebrating menstruation,” she said.

Maggie Roberts, Jess Dobbie, Claudia Gaffney, Molly Browning who are some of the students heading to Nepal. UTAS Bachelor of Nursing students who are heading off to Nepal to do health care work. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“For us to be able to educate children and women over there that it is normal and it’s okay for this to be happening is something that can really make a massive difference.

“Once we can teach them they can teach their children and hopefully break that cycle of having stigma around certain topics.”

Donations to the University of Tasmania’s nursing students healthcare relief to Nepal fundraiser can be made online.