Office of Global Engagement

The Office of Global Engagement at the Orvis School of Nursing, led by Deborah Shindell, PhD, FNP, and Jackie Ferdowsali, DNP, AGACNP, is dedicated to expanding the school’s impact on global health. Through international partnerships, immersive learning experiences, and culturally informed research, the Office fosters a community of globally minded nursing professionals prepared to address pressing healthcare challenges around the world. Our mission is to empower students, faculty, and healthcare professionals to approach global health with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to equity.

The Office is a partner of the University of Nevada, Reno's E. L. Cord Center for Global Engagement, focused on faculty and student exchanges, research collaborations, and more.

Mission

The Office of Global Engagement at the Orvis School of Nursing advances global health equity, fosters cultural humility, and enhances nursing education through strategic partnerships, international collaborations, and immersive global learning opportunities. Rooted in the University of Nevada, Reno's commitment to excellence in education, research, and service, the office empowers students, faculty, and healthcare professionals to address complex global health challenges with compassion, integrity, and innovative solutions.

Vision

The Office of Global Engagement envisions a world where nursing leadership transcends borders, tackling global health challenges with collaborative, evidence-based solutions. By fostering global partnerships and transformative educational experiences, we aim to cultivate a new generation of nursing professionals dedicated to improving health outcomes and advancing the well-being of populations worldwide. In alignment with the University’s vision of global impact, our office champions social justice, equity, and cultural understanding.

Global partners

A group of Orvis nurses and partners from Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital pose for a group photo.

Cambodia

Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital

A non-profit hospital and training center that improves the health of families and their communities by delivering high-quality, patient-centered care, regardless of their ability to pay.

A group of Orvis nurses pose with colleagues from Bwindi Community Hospital for a group photo.

Uganda

Bwindi Community Hospital

A 150 bed not-for-profit community hospital in rural south-west Uganda serving more than 120,000 patients per year. The Bwindi Community Hospital is closely associated with the Uganda School of Nursing, Bwindi and the Uganda Colleges of Health Sciences, Bwindi.

Critical pedagogy of place

The Office of Global Engagement integrates the critical pedagogy of place framework into its global initiatives, emphasizing the importance of context, environment, and local realities in shaping both education and practice. This approach ensures that nursing students and professionals not only gain knowledge but also develop a deeper understanding of the complex social, cultural, and political dynamics of the communities they serve.

Key components of critical pedagogy of place in global engagement:

  1. Contextualizing global health issues locally. By emphasizing place-based learning experiences, the Office helps students understand how global health challenges—such as infectious disease, healthcare access, and health disparities—manifest differently across communities and require culturally sensitive responses.
  2. Community-centered global learning opportunities. We prioritize partnerships that respect and elevate the leadership of local communities. Nursing students engage in community-driven research, clinical immersions, and collaborative projects grounded in local health priorities.
  3. Empowering students as critical global citizens. Through experiential learning, students gain cultural humility and engage with communities as learners rather than experts, fostering ethical, reflective, and globally competent nursing professionals.
  4. Fostering social justice and health equity. Our focus on social justice encourages students to understand the root causes of health inequities and advocate for policies that address these disparities in local and global contexts.
  5. Interdisciplinary collaboration. Working with partners in fields like public health, social work, and environmental science, we equip students with a holistic understanding of global health challenges, always contextualized within local realities.
  6. Environmental and ecological awareness. Students explore the intersections of health and environment, learning how factors like pollution, climate change, and biodiversity impact community health and advocating for environmental justice as part of their global health practice.

Gruenewald, D. A. (2008). The best of both worlds: a critical pedagogy of place. Environmental Education Research, 14(3), 308–324.