YEREVAN, Armenia — During the spring semester, students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the American University of Armenia (AUA) had hospital visits in Nork Marash Medical Center and Margaryan Maternity Hospital in Yerevan. Vicky Herkelian and Shehnaaz Mohamed, AUA BSN lecturers, organized the visits to give the students the opportunity to observe how classroom knowledge is applied in real hospital settings.
Junior students enrolled in the Critical Care course, along with sophomore students in the Evidence-Based Adult Gerontology Health course, participated in two different visits to Nork Marash Medical Center, alongside their instructors. The visits included a comprehensive tour of intensive care units (ICUs), where students had the opportunity to observe patients with a variety of medical/surgical conditions and learn about their medical and nursing management. Students were paired with staff nurses and gained insight into the pathophysiology of different conditions, diagnostic testing, patient monitoring equipment, charting and documentation practices, as well as clinical assessments conducted by both physicians and nurses.
During the visits, students observed patients across various age groups who had been admitted for a range of cardiac conditions, including congenital heart defect repair, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and aortic aneurysm repair. They also observed cardiac monitoring techniques, temporary pacemaker use, chest tubes, central lines, and diagnostic tools such as bedside ultrasound equipment.
The visit to Margaryan Maternity Hospital was part of the Maternal and Child Health Nursing course, during which sophomore students, accompanied by both instructors, visited the hospital. The head nurse welcomed the BSN students and took them on a hospital tour. She showed them the hospital setup, the nursing stations, and different procedures. The students had the chance to ask questions, observe assessments on pregnant women, speak with women in the postpartum ward, and see their newborns. The head nurse willingly answered all of the students’ questions.
Learning outcomes were shared with students prior to the visits, and participants completed reflective assignments afterward. Reflecting on the ICU visit, one of the BSN students shared, “ I observed a highly specialized environment where sick patients need constant care, continuous hemodynamic monitoring, and advanced life-support interventions. The ICU requires quick decision-making, teamwork, and careful nursing care to keep patients stable and prevent serious complications.” Another student added, “This visit helped me understand the importance of accurate monitoring of vital signs and the proper use of medical technologies. I observed the importance of effective nurse-to-nurse handovers and clear communication within the interdisciplinary team, including intensivists, nurses, and surgeons, in providing coordinated and high-quality care. This experience enhanced my knowledge, confidence, and awareness as a nurse in delivering safe and effective patient care.”
The BSN program sincerely thanks the leadership of the medical centers for making this collaboration possible.
The American University of Armenia’s Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.
