Earlier this year, a group of Colorado Mesa University nursing students marked a major milestone when they embarked on their journey to Panama for the program’s first-ever international clinical experience. The trip, organized through the nonprofit Global Brigades, sent students and faculty to two remote Panamanian communities to provide much-needed healthcare services.
The path to this inaugural trip was not straightforward. The program’s initial attempt to send students abroad to Belize was derailed by a hurricane that destroyed critical infrastructure. When the opportunity to serve patients in Panama emerged, the community rallied, raising the funds needed to make it a reality.
“Nobody in these villages had access to medical care in over a year,” Patric Bridge, current CMU professor and former president of the Student Nurses Association, said. Much of the country’s health services are centralized in Panama City, and people living in more remote communities may be many hours away from access to even the most basic healthcare.
Once in Panama, the team joined a diverse group of healthcare providers from various countries to convert schools and abandoned clinics into makeshift medical hubs. Each day began before sunrise with a long bus ride, sometimes followed by rugged travel in four-wheel-drive trucks when the rains made the roads impassable.
“We had a group of American students, several faculty members, interpreters, providers and Panamanians from all over that came together to make this happen,” Bridge said. “We all had to gel quickly and effectively, even with language barriers. Everybody was all hugs by the end of it.”
Working in four main stations — triage, physicians, education and pharmacy — students served patients of all ages and needs, from pregnant mothers and infants to elderly residents. Conditions of all kinds were addressed, from hypertension to fungal infections and malnutrition.
“Every student has their interest and specialty that they’re leaning toward — pregnant mothers, babies, ICU,” Bridge said. “But the amazing part is that after we were done, everyone saw the value of nursing is nursing. It doesn’t matter your specialty, you’re expected to know how to take care of these folks.”
The students triaged cases, took vital signs, gathered medical histories through interpreters, identified health concerns and provided education before patients could leave with prescriptions.
“We had a mother who brought herself and two kids,” Bridge said. “She started traveling by foot at 3 am to get there at 8 am. She didn’t leave there until 5 or 6 pm, and she’d gotten medication for her kids and was nothing but thankful. It was at that point she told us she had six hours on foot to get back home. The glaring difference is the lack of access there.”
To current nursing students, Bridge has just one piece of advice: “Find a way to go. It will change your perspective on life.”
International clinicals like the Panama trip build upon CMU’s commitment to providing hands-on, high-quality healthcare education. CMU offers a full range of nursing and Allied Health programs designed to meet the needs of both students and the communities they serve, from certificates all the way up to doctorates. The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program, offered at CMU’s Montrose Campus, provides students an opportunity to begin their nursing careers in a supportive environment that emphasizes small-town healthcare. Graduates of that program can continue their education through CMU’s fully online RN to BSN program, allowing them to earn a bachelor’s degree while working in the field.
Students in these programs consistently perform above state and national averages on licensure exams. This year, CMU’s Moss School of Nursing Practical Nursing (PN) program was ranked number one in the nation for 2024–2025 by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The ranking, which placed CMU first out of 1,127 PN programs nationwide, is based on graduate passing rates for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The outstanding performance of CMU’s PN graduates reflects the dedication of both students and faculty and the university’s focus on preparing nurses who are ready to practice with confidence and compassion.
CMU’s nursing and Allied Health programs emphasize experience that mimics real-world scenarios. Students learn to problem-solve in fast-paced, unpredictable environments and provide patient-centered care with limited resources, all skills that proved invaluable during their time in Panama.
The same dedication and adaptability that carried students through their work in Panama is what continues to define CMU nursing. Whether they’re caring for patients abroad or in western Colorado, students are putting their education into practice by meeting people where they are and making a difference through compassionate, hands-on care.
Looking ahead, students are already preparing for their next global opportunity. Fundraising is underway for the program’s next international trip, which will take students to Belize to serve the communities they had planned to help before the hurricane. Visit supportingcmu.org to learn how you can contribute to the future of nursing at CMU and the CMU Montrose Campus.
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Written by Jenna Kretschman