Global Health: Making an Impact Beyond Borders

 Guest: Katie DeJong, RN, Global Health Advocate

In this inspiring episode of CSP Nursing: Beyond the Calllight, we explore how nurses are making a difference on a global scale. Our guest, Katie DeJong, shares her journey as a nurse leader and global health advocate, offering insight into what it truly means to provide care that transcends borders, cultures, and circumstances.

Together, we unpack key questions:

• How do we define global health, and why is it vital for nurses to engage in this work?
• What global experiences have shaped Katie’s personal and professional growth?
• How can nurses address challenges such as infectious disease outbreaks, maternal-child health disparities, and access to care in low-resource settings?
• What can nursing students and new graduates do to get involved in global health — even if they can’t travel internationally?

Katie also reflects on how global health work strengthens the very core of nursing — compassion, adaptability, and cultural competence. From community partnerships to ethical practice, her insights highlight how nurses can lead change both abroad and at home.

Whether you’re a nursing student dreaming of working internationally, a faculty member guiding the next generation, or a practicing nurse seeking deeper purpose in your career, this episode will challenge you to think beyond boundaries and imagine the global impact of your care.

Here's a list of some books that give a glimpse into global health in some capacity. Not all are focused on healthcare specifically, but violence and oppression are important aspects of global health, so I have included some that address that. Some are fiction, but are based on true events.

"Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder

     The story of Dr. Paul Farmer, who worked to improve healthcare in Haiti, Cuba, Peru, Russia, and African nations.

"The Blue Sweater" by Jacqueline Novogratz

      An autobiography of an international banker, who left her job to found an organization focusing on helping to uplift people out of poverty through financial self-sufficiency.

"When Helping Hurts: by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

      A Chrisitian viewpoint on what the best approach to helping looks like. It challenges many of the current practices that high-income countries often implement to help low-income countries, pointing out the negative impacts that are overlooked.

"The Ghost Map" by Steve Johnson

     The story of the London cholera outbreak in 1854 and how it led to the invention of epidemiology. This event is considered the beginning of public health interventions.

"Left to Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza

     An autobiography of a young girl during the Rwandan genocide.

"In the time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

     A fictionalized account of the real Mirabal sisters, who fought against political oppression in the Dominican Republic.

"As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow" by Zoulfa Katouh

     A fictional story that takes place during the Syrian Revolution. It follows a college-aged girl who is thrown into the role of a surgeon (despite no training), and explores her journey of being a healthcare provider in the midst of extreme violence. The theme of PTSD is also prevalent, so I will add a trigger warning for those who have experienced PTSD from working in healthcare.

"When Sleeping Women Awake, Mountains will Move" by Barbara Mosley de Souza

    The author worked in Brazil for 40 years, where she built a curriculum for community health educator training in order to empower women. This book tells many stories of the women she encountered during her work.