William Weinbauer and Laura Pauzenberger, Nursing students from the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria, completed their two-month Clinical Immersion Program at TUA’s St. Luke’s College of Nursing (SLCN) from September 15 to November 14. Their time in the Philippines opened a space for understanding care in its lived, human context.

Throughout their immersion, William and Laura entered Filipino hospitals, community clinics, and rural health settings, where they observed how competence grows when grounded in empathy and cultural sensitivity. They worked alongside SLCN students and faculty and learned how health work becomes meaningful when it listens first and responds with intention.

They assisted in patient assessments, observed cases shaped by local realities, and engaged with families and health workers who welcomed them into their communities. Beyond procedures and protocols, they encountered a way of caring shaped by connection, humility, and shared responsibility. Their two-month stay challenged the way they see health work and revealed how care shapes both those who receive it and those who offer it.

Outside the clinical environment, the students immersed themselves in Filipino culture and allowed experiences with everyday life to deepen their understanding of community-centered health. They described the program as transformative and broadened their insight into global health and strengthened their confidence in serving diverse populations.

Their mobility for traineeship was made possible through Erasmus+, which supports international learning experiences that open doors to more grounded and compassionate practice across borders.