WABI, WVII cover UMaine nursing students’ preparation for Costa Rica trip

WABI (Channel 5) and WVII (Channel 7) reported 15 nursing students from the University of Maine will travel to Costa Rica, where they will work with medical professionals to provide care for residents. This is the eighth year UMaine’s nursing program has done a service trip, according to WABI. The students have been raising money during the past year — about $1,700, WVII reported —  to buy and bring supplies including vitamins, aspirin, bandages and ointments. They plan to leave Jan. 5, and will be in Costa Rica for nine days. The group has been meeting weekly to prepare for the trip and discuss ways to make the most of the experience, which will help build global awareness and cultural competence and facilitate personal growth. “As our culture is getting more diverse in the United States, we see more global health problems, so it’s really important to understand all the health disparities that we might see. Even though we’re going to Costa Rica and seeing them, soon we might see them at home,” said Laura Roberts, a senior nursing student at UMaine. News Center Maine also covered the preparations.