Author: Rylie Sisengrath | Major: Nursing | Semester: Summer 2025

Visiting the Simulation Lab at University Centrale

I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Tunisia, North Africa through the nursing program at the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. However, this program is open to other majors and not limited to nursing students. This was a 2 week program during May and we departed for Tunisia at the end of finals week. This trip was enticing to me because it was focused on hands-on learning and seeing the community through our own eyes versus listening to lectures. My goal was to expand my knowledge of healthcare and learn something that I could take with me in my future nursing practice. This experience forever changed my life and my outlook on healthcare forever. Everyday, we would have a few different activities that we did to facilitate our learning. One of my favorite activities that we did was visit the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and had a conversation with the healthcare department there. This organization works to support vulnerable migration populations and provide them with necessary healthcare. It was really insightful and incredible to see the work that they were doing for these populations. The work they are doing is really making an impact on the lives of the migratory population and it was incredible to see. Another thing that stood out to me was our trip to the pediatric hospital. It was very interesting to see how they operate their hospitals compared to how we operate ours in the United States. Another place we visited that stood out to me was the Dar Maram. This is used to house the families of children with pediatric cancer. To receive the best treatment for their child, they sometimes have to travel far distances for this care. They leave their families, other children, and homes. Dar Maram provides a parent, typically the mother, a safe place to live with their child while receiving treatment. It is insanely beautiful and heartwarming to see. The families there work together to support each other and have built a community. I really enjoyed the academics of this study abroad, because we learned through experiences. Something valuable that I will take away from this experience is that we can always learn things from the people around us. The culture in Tunisia is quite different from ours, but at the end of the day, we are all human and enjoy a lot of the same things. There are certain things from their culture that I will take back with me. The Tunisians are incredibly hospitable people and made us feel super welcome. The kindness that the people there showed us is something that I will remember forever. I will always extend the same kindness to those traveling in the United States. It is an incredibly fun city to travel in aswell. The food is spectacular and I really enjoyed trying a different cuisine. Fun fact, my favorite thing I had there was ferrero rocher gelato or makloub, which is a street food sandwich! The country is built on a lot of history and I also had the pleasure of learning about that history. It was incredible to see such a beautiful country filled with history and ruins. Did you know that Tunisia has the second largest colosseum after Rome? It lies in the heart of El Jem and you are able to go in and climb throughout it! The country of Tunisia is filled with so much culture and things to see. Overall, one of my favorite parts of the trip was connecting with the locals there. Through our many academic excursions, we were able to meet a variety of different people. For example, I connected with a few medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, one of the universities that we visited. They taught me so much about their healthcare system and we had some stimulating conversation comparing the differences between our country and theirs. It was so incredible to be able to connect with people there. We also met other locals who took us to their favorite places in the city, which was amazing to be able to see the country through the eyes of a local. This trip was incredibly eye opening to me and allowed me to see healthcare in a different perspective that I had never seen before. By comparing our system to theirs, it opened my eyes to the complexities of the system itself. Overall, this was such an incrediblyamazing experience. To anyone interested in studying abroad, I cannot stop recommending it. My biggest piece of advice is that whatever you put into the experience, you will get out. The more you put yourself out there to be involved with activities and connect with people, the better your experience will be. I expanded my knowledge regarding healthcare while experiencing such a beautiful culture. Learning while experiencing another culture is such an incredible opportunity. The things that I have learned on this trip are something that will make me a better nurse and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.