London - Nursing Study Tour 2020

Canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

Penn State Harrisburg - Tour #6162

March 6-14, 2020 

Price: $2,800

NURS 499: London, England as Resilient Community: Evolution of Healthcare from Ancient to Planetary

Transnational study of emergent patterns in systems of belief and practice concerning natural environment, human body, health, and healthcare. Our natural and built environments form the global infrastructure holding our planet together, keeping us alive and connected to each other. As communities of people live and interact in this locality, they form emotional and affective attachments to its features and develop a shared identity around sense of place. Such a network of connections between human-based systems and the environment is a social-ecological system. Historically, healthcare has been a man-made system, part of the built environment. It arose as a product of evolving understanding of the human body’s connection with the natural environment, thus meanings associated with a sense of place. Resilient systems can absorb disturbances and reorganize while undergoing change so that they retain essentially the same function, structure and feedbacks. The ability to absorb change and remain functional is key to individual health and wellness, and environmental sustainability. This course uses London, England as a site to examine the historical evolution of healing practices, grounded in beliefs that arise from sense of place, and reflecting a changing sense of responsibility for the health of the total social-ecological system. Through experiences with cultural and academic sites and museums, students develop an individual understanding of person-nature connection and planetary health.

Course Registration

To register for course credit:

  1. Meet with your academic adviser to discuss how this course will impact your educational progress. Have your adviser sign a drop/add form to add this class. Forms are available online at registrar website
  2. Contact the travel agency (contact information on back panel) to make a deposit or pay the total cost of the trip and obtain a receipt.
  3. Take your signed drop/add form and travel agency receipt to the Office of the Registrar in the Swatara Building to complete enrollment in the course.

Course Requirements

  • Mandatory pre/post-trip meetings, group readings, journals, etc., during spring 2020 semester.
  • Students must be free of any conduct reviews or conduct sanctions. Eligibility will be verified, and each participant grants permission for verification by the Office of Student Conduct. Any violation of the PSU Student Code of Conduct while traveling will result in a class failure.

Travel Awards

Award funds are available to undergraduate honors students through the Penn State Harrisburg Honors programs. The University also has funds for students traveling internationally. For details, visit gpglobalea.gp.psu.edu and select the “Scholarships and Grants” link. A limited number of travel awards are available through the Penn State Harrisburg Office of International Programs. The application deadline October 25, 2019. Please visit  grants and awards page for information.

Contacts:

Stephanie Ponnett, Administrative Support Coordinator for International Programs, 717-948-6062, [email protected]

Dr. Ann Swartz, Associate Teaching Professor of Nursing, 717-948-6514, [email protected]

London Itinerary

Itinerary and all visits are subject to change without notice.

  • Day 1 - Friday, March 6, 2020
    Departure from the Penn State Harrisburg campus for Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) at 2:30 p.m. Check-in at Virgin Atlantic counter terminal should be no later than 6:35 p.m. Flight VS2 leaves for London Heathrow Airport (LHR) at 9:35 p.m.  
  • Day 2 - Saturday, March 7, 2020 – Stonehenge
    Arrive at London Heathrow International Airport at 9:35 a.m. Meet your assistant and board your coach. Depart immediately for Avebury. Arrive at Stonehenge for a guided audio tour. Then, check into the Holiday Inn Salisbury-Stonehenge for a one-night stay. Travel to Amesbury for a Shaman workshop in the afternoon. Return to the hotel for a group dinner.
  • Day 3 - Sunday, March 8, 2020 - Bath
    After breakfast, travel to Bath. Enjoy a guided tour of the Roman Baths Museum and Pump Room. Lunch on your own. Take the Mayor of Bath walking tour along the River Avon. Depart for London and check into the Royal National Hotel for the remainder of your trip. Dinner on your own..
  • Day 4 - Monday, March 9, 2020 - London
    After breakfast, receive your seven-day travel card for unlimited travel through London, zone 1 to 2. Board the coach for a typical half-day guided tour of London to see the main landmarks of the city: Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the Strand, Leicester Square, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Thames River, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens, and Buckingham Palace with changing of the Guard. Additional afternoon visits by public transportation, followed by tea on Brompton Road and visit to Harrod’s for late day entertainment. Lunch and dinner on your own.
  • Day 5 - Tuesday, March 10, 2020
    After breakfast, join your guide for a short visit to Barbican Centre, a performing arts centre. Visit the Museum of London to explore the War, Plague, and Fire exhibits. Take a walking tour to visit stops along London’s Roman City Wall, including Roman Fort Ruins, Roman Fort Gate, and Barber Surgeons’ Hall Tower Ruin. Continue to nearby Charterhouse Square for a walking tour of the Plague Burial Pits of London, hearing folklore associated with the sites. Free time for lunch, followed by a guided tour of Saint John Hospitaller. Dinner on your own.  
  • Day 6 - Wednesday, March 11, 2020
    Following breakfast, a morning excursion to Chelsea Physic Garden, home of the oldest botanic garden in London, which houses around 5,000 different medicinal, herbal, edible, and useful plants. Next, visit the Florence Nightingale Museum. Enjoy lunch on your own. Afternoon visit to the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret at Saint Thomas Hospital. Finally, visit King’s College Nursing School. Evening and dinner on your own.
  • Day 7 - Thursday, March 12, 2020
    After breakfast, board the coach for a trip to the Bethlem Museum of the Mind, which records the lives and experience and celebrates the achievements of people with mental health problems. Next, visit Bethlem Royal Hospital, a psychiatric hospital. Free time for lunch. Travel to Beckenham for a technical visit. Stop in the Great North Wood and see the oldest remaining oak on the woods. Afternoon visit to the Wellcome’s Collection and Museum, which contains 19th-century collector Henry Wellcome’s medical antiquities, plus hi-tech modern displays and art.
  • Day 8 - Friday, March 13, 2020
    After breakfast, walk to the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Travel to Hampstead Health. Lunch on your own. Enjoy a three-hour forest bathing experience with Claire de Borusac in Queen’s wood. Enjoy your last evening in London with dinner on your own.
  • Day 9 - Saturday, March 14, 2020
    Enjoy a relaxing morning before you head to the airport at 11:30 a.m. Check in at London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) for your 4:05 p.m. Virgin Atlantic flight VS1. Arrives at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) at 8:30 p.m. Upon arrival, meet your driver and coach to return to the Penn State Harrisburg campus.

Hotel Accommodations

Holiday Inn Salisbury-Stonehenge
Mid Summer Place Solstice Park
Amsbury, SP4 7SQ, United Kingdom
+44 345 241 3535

Royal National Hotel
38-51 Bedford Way
Bloomsbury, London WC1H 0DG, United Kingdom
+44 20 7637 2488

Airline Schedule

The exact time of flights is subject to change and will be reconfirmed. Check-in at the airport is three hours prior to departure time.

  • Friday, March 6, 2020 – Virgin Atlantic Airlines VS 2 Newark, NJ 9:45 p.m. to London, UK 9:45 a.m. (+1)
  • Saturday, March 14, 2020 – Virgin Atlantic Airlines VS 1 London, UK 4:05 p.m. to Newark, NJ 8:30 p.m.

Price

Price Includes

  • Round-trip airfare between Newark, NJ and London, UK
  • Round-trip transfers between the Penn State Harrisburg campus and Newark Liberty International Airport
  • Airport taxes and fuel surcharge - subject to increase before ticketing
  • Hotel accommodations per itinerary (in shared rooms)
  • Buffet breakfast daily plus one dinner
  • Oyster Pass to travel in London
  • All tours, visits and entrance fees as per itinerary

Price Does Not Include

  •  Tuition
  • Single room supplement +$420
  • Excess baggage fees at the airport
  • Optional travel insurance in case of trip cancellation
  • Additional excursions or activities not mentioned in the itinerary or reserved in advance
  • Transportation, except where noted in the itinerary
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips for tour guides and drivers
  • Any services not listed above as “included”
  • Passport and visa fees - Passport should be valid until September 15, 2020

Visas are not required for United States citizens traveling to London. All international students are responsible for determining if a visa is required and should immediately apply for the visa. Please check  site if a visa is not issued. Trip fees cannot be refunded if a visa is denied. Also, alert the International Programs office if you are applying for a visa.

Transfers Campus/Airport/Campus

You will be responsible for transportation or a supplement may be added from the Office of International Programs for charter bus service to and from the airport. You will be notified if a charter service is planned and what the supplement will be.

Terms and Conditions

Celestial Voyagers' terms are based on contracts with airlines, hotels and other suppliers. The terms and stipulations mentioned below are bound by these contracts and will be strictly enforced. A passport valid until September 15, 2020 is required.

Registration online

To register, visit Celestial Voyagers website

  1. After registering, you must mail your deposit within 48 hours with a copy of your passport, if available (photos or scans of passports are acceptable).
  2. Tour #: 6162
  3. Tour Name: Penn State Harrisburg London-Nursing 2020
  4. Mail your deposit and copy of your passport (if available) immediately to: Celestial Voyagers, Inc. / 27-28 Thomson Avenue, Suite WS11 / Long Island City, NY 11101

Contacts

Travel Arrangements

Celestial Voyagers, Inc.
27-28 Thomson Avenue, Suite WS 11, Long Island City, NY 11101
Phone: 516-829-1525
Fax: 718-729-0306
E-mail: [email protected]

Program information:

Stephanie Ponnett
Administrative Support Coordinator, International Programs, Penn State Harrisburg
777 West Harrisburg Pike, C114R Olmsted Building, Middletown, PA 17057
Phone: 717-948-6062
E-mail: [email protected]

Trip Registration

Deposit: $500

$150 of this is a non-refundable processing fee to Celestial Voyagers. Your deposit will assure your reservation with the airline, the hotel and other suppliers. The deposit must be sent with a copy of your passport as soon as you register online.

Send your deposit as soon as possible prior to December 5, 2019. After this date, space may not be available, and a supplement may apply.

Balance due no later than January 9, 2020.

All payments by check must be made to Celestial Voyagers

Payment Methods to Celestial Voyagers:

  1. Online: During your registration, you can submit your payment by e-check (at no extra cost) or by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express). There is a three percent merchant fee for all online payments.
  2. Phone: Celestial Voyagers accepts credit card and e-check payments by phone. Credit card payments incur a three percent merchant fee but there is no service fee for e-checks.
  3. Post Mail: Your third payment option is to mail in a paper check or money order. Checks should be made payable to “Celestial Voyagers,” and mailed to the address in the contact Celestial Voyagers section. When mailing a check, do not forget to indicate the tour reference number.

Cancellation Penalties

In case of cancellation, penalties will apply. All cancellations must be received in writing. Written cancellation received between December 6, 2019 – January 10, 2020 will incur a penalty of $350 plus a processing fee of $150 – a total of $500. Written cancellation received after January 10, 2020 or no-shows incur a penalty of 100 percent of the total trip cost – $2,800.

Written cancellation received between December 6, 2019 – January 10, 2020 will incur a penalty of $350 plus a processing fee of $150 – a total of $500.

Written cancellation received after January 10, 2020 or no-shows incur a penalty of 100 percent of the total trip cost – $2,800.

Course registration is separate from trip registration.

Upon receipt of your deposit, Celestial Voyagers will send you a receipt that you must present at the Penn State Harrisburg Registrar’s office to register for the course.

If you intend to travel internationally, apply for your passport immediately. Failure to provide passport information may delay airline ticketing for our group.