Podcast

In this session we will look at several clinical tropical diseases seen in nationals and expatriate travelers. Real clinical cases and research studies will be described as unknowns. The challenge will be to recognize various travel related illnesses and making a diagnosis. We will explore cases of fever, skin rash, abdominal complaints, and some emerging tropical diseases around the world.

Already, vaccines prevent millions of premature deaths and avoid bothersome days of sickness each year. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines have again risen to the level of headlines, conspiracy theories, and active research. During this session, we will discuss the mechanisms and means of appropriately vaccinating patients, review ethical and social concerns about vaccines, identify sources of appropriate vaccination information and administration for international travelers, and provide updated information about the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Nurses and other members of the healthcare team who serve on the mission field have the chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus as they care for the whole person. They have the opportunity to touch the untouchable, love the unloved, and be with people from a variety of backgrounds, in the same way that Jesus did. Serving others is sacred work, by showing compassion, grace, and humility with power from the Holy Spirit. People are sometimes on a search for their purpose, so this session will examine the ways nurses and other healthcare professionals can use their discipline, and all the gifts and talents the Lord gave them, to build relationships, serve others, and provide honor and dignity in a cross-cultural context. The importance of a solid spiritual foundation will be included, and culturally appropriate approaches to health promotion strategies will be explored. Some of the ways cultural values and beliefs influence healthcare practices will also be discussed. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send Me” (Isaiah 6:8)

This session focuses on women in mission and will highlight the role of women in missions, challenges faced, and some practical ways to overcome those challenges.

Advanced practice providers (APPs), such as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physicians assistants, have and can continue to bridge gaps by increasing access and quality of health care in cost effective ways especially in underserved communities in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Interviews with APPs and other healthcare professionals, personal experience living and working as an APP in LMICs, and literature reviews reveal similar results: utilizing APPs provides cost-effective health care access, improves morbidity and mortality outcomes, and enhances patient satisfaction without compromising the quality of care given in underserved areas. Challenges to APPs in LMICs include lack of access and standardization of higher education programs, role and title variability, physician resistance, limited research, and inconsistent legislation and licensing restrictions. When these challenges are overcome, APPs improve health care access in difficult to reach locations, exhibit adaptability and flexibility in challenging circumstances, and fill in the gaps of physician shortages particularly in primary care and rural locations. APPs are a vital, but underused role in health care. Enhancing APP training programs, defining roles and titles, educating health care providers and legislature writers, and promoting research in LMICs can improve the availability and implementation of APPs in LMIC and thus bridge gaps in global heath care. This presentation will provide personal perspectives from APPs who have worked around the World as well as present research that addresses advantages, challenges, and the necessity of APPs worldwide in bridging healthcare gaps.