Students from the department of nursing and healthcare travelled to Lourdes for an annual pilgrimage where they cared for the assisted pilgrims
Nurse Allocations Officer in the Department of Nursing and Health Science at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) Deirdre Chapman took nine third year Nursing students and 13 Applied Healthcare students to Lourdes for the 59th Diocesan Pilgrimage from 6 – 9 of June.
The role of the students
While in Lourdes, the students involved helped care for the 110 assisted pilgrims that travelled from Waterford.
This pilgrimage took the form of clinical work placement for the students who participated.
WIT involvement
The annual trip has taken place across the past seven years and has seen more than 200 WIT nursing and healthcare students travel to Lourdes.
Matron of the nursing staff, Grainne Walsh said, “the addition of the students to the nursing staff is always most welcome. The students are a breath of fresh air and are always so willing to give so generously of their time to help with the assisted pilgrims while in Lourdes, and always do so with a smile on their faces. They are a credit to themselves, their families and WIT.”
Speaking about the experience, Deirdre said, “For each student, this is an opportunity to experience caring in a different context and one they really enjoy. Already there is great interest in the 2018 pilgrimage.”
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SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
