The Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University was a co-organizer for an International Nursing Conference that has hosted by the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Indonesia on 1 – 3 October 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia. At the same time as the 6th Biennial International Nursing Conference 2017, the International Nursing Student Symposium and Festival (INSympoFest) for undergraduate students was held. Scholarships were generously provided for ASEAN nursing students.
Ms. Natthawadee Banlue, an undergraduate student in the International Program at the Faculty of Nursing was chosen for the scholarship offered to the FON, CMU. In addition to presenting her paper, she sang a traditional Thai song in the cultural performance showcase and presented a slide show on the Social and Academic University Life as an undergraduate nursing student at Chiang Mai University. It was great event to strengthen ties and build networks within the ASEAN nursing community.
What was the topic of your oral presentation?
A portable Neck Support which was based on my group project from my third-year Design Innovation class.
How has your classes and/or previous experiences at the Faculty of Nursing prepare you for presenting a paper at an international conference?
I had attended my first International Conference at Assumption University when I was a second-year nursing student so I was already familiar as an observer.
For Innovation class, we needed to present our group project to all the third-year nursing students including the Thai program and International program as well as to all the advisers of each group. They gave us suggestions and recommendations to better develop our project in the future. For the conference I had to summarize my Innovation report to an abstract and give a presentation about it in English. I was able to get help from my teachers when I was preparing for the conference.
What were some things you experienced or learned about for the first time while you were attending the conference?
I had a lot of experiences which impressed me. I had a warm welcome from the staff and faculty of Universitas Indonesia and I made a lot of new friends from other countries. Also this nursing conference created the aspect of nursing overview through many topics they had which made me feel really open-minded for the future of Nursing in ASEAN and all over the world.
How do you think this experience affect your future opportunities?
It was great for my future opportunities to attend this conference. I think it really helped me understand more about Nursing so I think this experience will help me have a better chance for a good nursing career especially for working internationally.
Would you recommend other undergraduate students to attend conferences? Why or why not?
Yes, of course! I would recommend other undergraduate students to attend conferences because it is a good chance to learn from other countries to improve your own home country and get new experiences and make new friends.
What do you plan to do after you graduate from the BNS program in May?
I plan to work at the hospital as a midwife. Also I plan to work on International projects and if possible work overseas.
Group photo of the INSympo conference participants and organizers. Natt is in the gold outfit.