Elective Placements in Vietnam – Learning Disability Nursing
BSc (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing
Thanks to the long-term projects, research and activities undertaken by the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences with staff and Vietnamese universities and hospitals, 13 students from the School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing and Midwifery have been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Hanoi and experience Vietnamese healthcare and culture.
Katherine James, a Learning Disability Nursing student, spend two weeks in Viet Duc and Bach Mai hospitals, located in Hanoi.
“Visiting Vietnam was a once in a lifetime experience, I would recommend going abroad to any healthcare professional to experience different health systems because it really does make you appreciate our healthcare system in the UK.”
Highlights
“I can honestly say I enjoyed everything about my time spent in Vietnam, from living in a hotel, to crossing the roads (which I can tell you is an experience in itself), to spending some time travelling around Vietnam. While on placement, I had the opportunity to visit and observe different departments such as accident and emergency (A&E), intensive care, orthopaedic and trauma, Brain injury rehabilitation, mental health and infectious diseases. I enjoyed meeting different people and learning how healthcare professionals worked within the hospital setting. I was also able to travel around Vietnam and visited some stunning places within Vietnam itself."
Differences in healthcare systems
“In Vietnam, there is no NHS scheme like there is in the UK so patients are required to pay for all healthcare. Some people have health insurance however, most people in Vietnam cannot afford insurance.
The care and treatment patients receive are heavily nurse and doctor lead. The healthcare professional will inform the patient of the treatment they will receive with no options available to the patient. Where as in the UK treatment is person-centred doctors and nurses will inform the patient of all options, so the patient can choose the route they want to go down."
Professional achievements
“The experience has allowed me to become more confident in my own ability and nursing knowledge. Having the overseas experience reassured me that I have chosen the correct field of nursing for me (…). This experience has made me realise it isn’t just the UK who need learning disability nurses to advocate for the patients and that other countries have this problem too.
I was also able to gain additional clinical skills. The overall experience allowed me to appreciate the NHS system more."
