Nursing Associate Dean Neal Rosenburg and nursing Professor Kim Kintz spent part of their summer in health care clinics in Africa, trying to stem the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Cameroon, where they conducted research and public awareness activities, has some of the highest rates of the virus in West Africa. The biggest obstacle to reducing HIV infection, Rosenburg and Kintz say, is the stigma that surrounds the disease. They visited clinics and worked with nurses and patients on pregnancy and infant issues in rural and urban settings.
They are also focusing their efforts on Linfield College nursing students, helping them develop an understanding of global health issues.
“We are part of an increasingly diverse nation and we will be providing care for an array of individuals,” says Rosenburg. “It helps students to be immersed in another culture, so they can really understand how to care for all types of patients.”
Rosenburg was recently named a 2012-13 Fellow for the Leadership for Academic Nursing Programs, affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The year-long program helps participants develop executive leadership skills.
Kintz and her nursing students are currently conducting health outreach to inmates in two regional prisons.
