Tour focuses on health hardship in Indonesia

Nursing students have explored first-hand some of the public health challenges facing Indonesia via a public health study tour in Jakarta.

CDU is a member of the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies, which offers School of Health undergraduates the opportunity to gain experience in the public health sector in Indonesia and gain credit towards their studies.

Nursing lecturer Angela Sheedy said the focus of the two-week tour was to provide a hands-on global perspective of public health for students.

“It not only enabled students to gain an understanding of the challenges currently facing Indonesia, but also about the international and community-led initiatives tasked with meeting these challenges,” Ms Sheedy said.   

“The real benefit for students is a unique experience in international public health, which positively contributes to their health career path, and may encourage them to seek work in the Indonesian public health areas.”

Third year Bachelor of Nursing student Sherelle Bradley said the tour gave her an opportunity to interact with Indonesian communities and understand the public health issues that they faced from the perspective of individuals, healthcare workers and the greater Indonesian population.

“It also gave me a greater understanding of how I can combine my nursing degree with working in various areas of nursing such as public health, rural and remote nursing, and international nursing,” Sherelle said.

The program is available to nursing and health science students, and the next tour will depart in July. For more information visit W: acicis.edu.au/programs/tour/public-health-study-tour/  or contact on T: 08 89 46 6579 or E: angela.sheedy@cdu.edu.au.