By: Keisha Nagorr, Douglas College, winner of the Winter 2025 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship
Study Abroad Destination: Ghana
Now that I have returned home from my two-week field school in Ghana, I am reflecting on what this experience meant to me, personally and professionally. While I expected to learn about healthcare differences and to be challenged in new ways, the impact this trip had on my confidence, mindset, and values went beyond what I had imagined
One of the biggest takeaways was learning how to slow myself down and be present. Life in Frankadua, Ghana, moved at a pace different from my usual environments. Without constant access to the internet and digital distractions, I found myself immersed in genuine conversations and human connection. Even simpler moments like walking through the village, greeting children, and watching a midwife utilize pictures while teaching prenatal care to mothers with varying levels of education left a lasting impact.
Professionally, the experience shifted how I view nursing. While I was initially surprised by the visible lack of supplies, documentation system, and lack of sterility, I soon realized how much can be accomplished with knowledge, trust, and adaptability. The autonomy and broad skillset of the nurses amazed me, many acting as both clinician and educator, moving between both roles with elegance. It challenged me to rethink what “quality care” means and has forced me to better appreciate relational skills just as much as technical ones.
Since returning, I have become more grateful for things I once overlooked, clean water, accessible healthcare, and consistent waste disposal. Witnessing the burning of waste in pits and open fields made me reflect on my own consumption. In Ghana, I saw how care was done with only the essentials: saline, gloves, and gauze—without the luxuries we take for granted like adhesive dressings, and disposable instruments. Yet, care still happened, and healing still occurred. The experience changed how I now approach supply use in clinical practice. I have become more conscious of what I use, more thoughtful in preparing only what is needed, and less wasteful with materials that, in many places, are precious.
To those attending a field school or those unsure about going, do it and go immerse yourself. Let go of your expectations. Growth occurs when things do not go as planned. You will return home with not just memories, but with a deeper understanding of who you are, and who you want to become.