In a recent initiative, 30 undergraduate students from the UTS schools of Public Health and Nursing and Midwifery participated in a study tour under the New Colombo Plan, an initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study in the region.
Integrating study tours into nursing and global health education provides students with unique opportunities to develop clinical skills, cultural competence, and understanding of global health challenges. These experiences broaden students’ horizons with exposure to diverse practices, networking, collaboration, and hands-on learning. Just as importantly, they can be the catalyst and inspiration for profound changes in perspective for our future healthcare professionals.
Partnering with local institutions
Our academic hosts were Fiji National University, located at the Tamavua Campus. The nursing faculty members are highly qualified professionals with diverse backgrounds in nursing and healthcare, contributing to a rich and dynamic learning environment for students. Our students attended comprehensive lectures at the University, covering critical topics such as paediatric care, infectious diseases and immunisation, family health nursing, mental health nursing, the drug and alcohol epidemic, and maternal health in Fiji. These lectures provided a robust theoretical foundation, essential for their professional development.
To bridge theory with practice, the students engaged in several field visits:
- St. Giles Hospital: As the only psychiatric hospital in Fiji, St. Giles serves all 330 islands, offering our students a unique perspective on mental health care in a diverse and widespread community.
- Community Maternal and Paediatric Health Clinics, where students observed the challenges of a nursing ratio of 1:5000, gaining insights into the dedication and resilience required to provide care in such settings.
- Villages and Peri-Urban Settlements, where students observed the real-time effects of health and disease, and were introduced to two innovative research initiatives aimed at improving sanitation and waste management.
- The Australian High Commission, a visit focused on public health initiatives and strategies to combat disease, highlighting the collaborative efforts between nations to improve health outcomes.
Culturally sensitive, hands-on healthcare in rural settings
During visits to rural villages in Viti Levu, students were hosted by the Chiefs and Elders of Navunikabi (Namosi Highlands), Naviuruvuru (a coastal village), and Ucunivanua Village. In these villages, health and wellbeing are deeply intertwined with cultural traditions, religious beliefs, and the collective attitudes of the community. Historically, low levels of health literacy have been a challenge, but recent increases in schooling and tertiary education are beginning to shift attitudes towards health and wellbeing.
Our students participated in day secondments where they visited the villages, conducting health assessments and developing comprehensive healthcare plans aimed at improving health outcomes. These plans, once approved by the village chief, are embraced by the entire community, reflecting a sense of unity and collective responsibility.
This experience not only enhanced our students’ practical skills but also deepened their understanding of the importance of culturally sensitive healthcare practices. It highlighted the power of education and community engagement in transforming health attitudes and outcomes.
Pushing boundaries in public health
Our public health students had the opportunity to engage with transformative public health research projects in Fiji, experiences which have not only broadened their academic horizons, but also opened doors to prestigious internships at the World Health Organization.
Some students have initiated their own research projects inspired by these initiatives and have established valuable networking connections for future collaborations. These include:
- The Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE) initiative, a pivotal project in Fiji dedicated to enhancing living conditions in informal settlements. It exemplifies how innovative, community-focused approaches can significantly improve living conditions and promote sustainable development.
- The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project, a collaborative initiative aimed at improving water quality and reducing water-related diseases in Fiji. The project emphasises community engagement, involving residents in co-designing and implementing targeted management interventions.
- Immunisation coverage: the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF regularly review and estimate immunization coverage in Fiji, crucial in maintaining public health and preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. UTS Associate Professor Jane Frawley (School of Public Health) has been undertaking a research project with WHO, surveying locals around the islands of Fiji and collating vaccine statistics.
Nursing in Fiji: pay, ratios and resilience
Our students were particularly inspired by the resilience and dedication of Fijian nurses, who have a high level of nursing autonomy and often lead patient care, guiding doctors in some instances. Despite this crucial role in healthcare, nurses in Fiji earn less than $20,000 AUD per year, and manage nursing ratios that would be daunting to many of us in Australia. In community settings, the ratio is 1:5000, with each nurse covering approximately 20 villages over a three-month period.
These nurses are driven by a profound sense of community, pride in their people, and a genuine desire to improve lives. This experience allowed our students to explore their own motivations for entering the nursing profession, reconnecting with the core values that can sometimes be overshadowed in the Western healthcare context. Inspired by their experiences, many students have applied for rural placements as part of their graduate nursing year. They have also committed to participating in NGO trips to Asia and Africa in 2026, aiming to continue practicing nursing in developing regions. These opportunities will further expand their insights into caring for others and reaffirm their place in the world.
Opening our minds, and our hearts
I am filled with immense pride and inspiration from our recent study exchange to Fiji. This incredible journey has been a testament to the transformative power of study tours in enhancing learning and engagement in global health and nursing practices.
I was always taught by my Baba that we cannot change the world, but we can change the world inside of us, and this was a very much a theme of this tour. We went in, surrendered our egos, our preconceived thoughts, we got uncomfortable and we opened our hearts and minds to the incredible levels of insight the study experience had to offer.