TNMU AcademicsHadan Educational Trip to Philadelphia as Part of an International Project

On September 23-27, 2024, the Director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Nursing, Svitlana Danchak, her deputy Vita Slavopas, and Assistant of the Higher Nursing Education, Patient Care, and Clinical Immunology Department, Oksana Prokopchuk, made an educational trip to Philadelphia, USA, as part of an academic partnership and experience exchange focused on mental health preservation through the USAID project “Building a Resilient Public Health System.” The trip was part of an initiative to develop academic partnerships between scientists from Ternopil National Medical University and their American colleagues.

During the week, the TNMU faculty had a busy schedule that included the following activities:

• A meeting with American professionals, during which social workers shared their experiences in clinical roles, case management, and advocacy. Nurses discussed quality management, patient care, and clinical support in outpatient settings. These sessions provided a better understanding of the specifics of interdisciplinary work and the integration of various aspects in providing medical care.
• Tours of the teaching laboratories at Temple University, where our participants saw firsthand the use of simulation technologies in training healthcare professionals.
• A visit to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where TNMU academics learned about standardized patient training methods: visits to clinics supporting patients with HIV/AIDS and working with survivors of domestic violence helped to understand better the practical application of theoretical knowledge in medical and social fields.
• Discussions on the principles of trauma-informed care. American colleagues presented current practices in this area as particularly important for training professionals working with vulnerable populations. During meetings, participants shared their vision of adapting this approach to our university’s training programs.

The framework for the American-Ukrainian academic partnership in mental health was signed, paving the way for further collaboration that will enhance the training programs for future nurses, mainly through introducing new courses and increasing competencies in mental health.

Following the visit, active work began integrating the acquired knowledge and practices into the university’s curricula to equip students with modern approaches and necessary skills for their work.