WIKICOUNTRY

NUR 458- Global Health

Wikicountry
Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to introduce the student to the major underlying
determinants of poor health and their effect on the health of populations worldwide. The
student will utilize these principles to create an informational wikipage for the country of
their choice.
Approach to the Assignment
I decided to choose Bonaire for my wikicountry because I love scuba diving and had
traveled with some friends to Bonaire for a diving vacation. I loved the islands waters,
but was intrigued by the mix of cultures: tourist, Danish and the local culture of the
Papamientu.
Reason for Inclusion
This assignment was an assignment that required researching skills, cultural awareness,
use of technology and the application of knowledge to address current health problems
within the population of Bonaire.
Critical Thinking
Engages in creative problem solving
This assignment forced me to think outside the box in order to find all the necessary
information for this project. Bonaire had recently undergone a major change in
government, education and healthcare due to becoming a province of the Netherlands.
So, finding relevant information became difficult and I needed to use various resources,
including local digital copies of newspapers, Bonaire archives, research literature and the
conversion of Dutch documents into English.

Communication
Accesses and utilizes data and information from a wide range of sources to enhance
patient and professional communication
Please see above. This assignment required constant communication and feedback from
peers and my professor.
Teaching
Uses information technologies and other appropriate methods to enhance ones own
knowledge base
I needed to use various resources, including local digital copies of newspapers, Bonaire
archives, research literature, Netherlands government resources and the conversion of
Dutch documents into English. I contacted ODU library and TNCC library staff to obtain
suggestions to locate resources I may not have thought to use.
Uses information technologies and other appropriate methods to communicate health
promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention across the lifespan.
This assignment used discussion boards and digital postings of Wikicountry information to
share and communicate with peers. Part of the wikicountry assignment was to evaluate
how culture and religious beliefs affected the health of the population.

Research
Applies research-based knowledge from the arts, humanities and sciences to
complement nursing practice
This assignment allowed the integration of culture, lifestyle, economic, religious beliefs and
health science to paint an overall picture of life and health on Bonaire and the factors
affecting the health of the population.

Culture

Demonstrates sensitivity to personal and cultural definitions of health, and how these
beliefs influence an individuals reactions to the illness experience and end of life

Religious, social and cultural aspects of Bonaire directly affect the health of the
population, to include sexual diseases, teen pregnancy and many diseases such as
hypertension, obesity and heart issues. The acceptance of cultural norms for the
Papamientu guides their daily lives and health.

Maintain and awareness of global environmental factors that may influence the
diversity of health care services

The health of Bonaire before the enactment of the new government correlated to the
economics of the population because many people on Bonaire could not afford healthcare.
Once the system changed to that of the Netherland government, then healthcare became
socialized and the population could seek healthcare. Bonaires climate and land
composition makes it difficult to grow many food crops, so much of the food must be
shipped in from other countries. This led to a decrease in the availability of fresh fruits and
vegetables and a dependence on processed foods.