Freed-Hardeman junior nursing students had the opportunity to travel to Peru in 2020 to show kindness and the love of Christ by providing physical and spiritual care to the people of Cusco. Their work was in cooperation with CerviCusco, a medical clinic that specializes in the prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer in Peruvian women. While on site, the students were immersed in the Peruvian culture as they explored how to identify, initiate, and sustain medicine ventures that enhance the quality of life of those in need.
The people of Peru are very humble and gracious towards those seeking to help them. They rely on the services of organizations like CerviCusco to receive medical treatment in the region. During the students' trip to Peru, they were able to aid in this wonderful effort effort and learn more about the population of Cusco and, in the process, more about themselves.
This experience is unlike any available in the United States, where seemingly small healthcare services are often overlooked or under-appreciated. In Peru, healthcare is looked at as an act of beneficence rather than a necessity, and it is because of this point of view that students were provided the opportunity to show the heart of a servant while witnessing genuine gratitude and humility in the face of medical and economic adversity while caring for the citizens of Cusco.This medical mission trip set Freed-Hardeman nursing students apart by allowing them to provide care for those who are in great need both physically and spiritually. Traveling to Peru provided a valuable opportunity to focus on a community much different than their own, especially regarding different illnesses or disorders that are not present in the United States. They were able to see other cultures at work and minister to one of the most vulnerable populations in the world: children. While in Peru, the students had the opportunity to serve at a pediatric neurological hospital, taking care of children with several of the rarest diseases in the world.
This trip provided valuable experience in doing medical mission work in foreign countries. It will also gave the students the opportunity to see a clinical setting that does not have all of the resources that are available in the United States. Working with limited resources in Peru challenged their critical thinking skills, strengthened their nursing abilities, and expand their medical knowledge. This experience will be applied to each patient that they may encounter throughout their future careers, ultimately improving the quality of care that each patient receives.