Effective Strategies to Teach Nursing in a Developing Nation: The Regis College Haiti Project

Purpose:  As part of the Regis College Haiti Project (RCHP), a graduate course was designed to address the barriers which exist for nursing faculty within Haiti.  These faculty members often teach large class sizes of 100 students, with limited technology available.  They face economic constraints, and have few opportunities for professional development.  Effective strategies to overcome those barriers were identified, and educational techniques taught to the Haitian faculty.

Methods:   The presenters questioned global nursing faculty by accessing the Global Alliance for Nursing and Midwifery (GANM). This query resulted in suggested techniques for teaching large classes. Those strategies were demonstrated as part of an interactive class session with the Haitian faculty members as students.  In addition, simulation as a teaching tool was discussed and low-fidelity simulations were presented.  High-fidelity simulation, using live actors and forum theatre methods, was also taught.  Sources of free or low-cost educational materials were identified, and sample materials as well as access information were provided to the faculty members. Useful websites for faculty information were identified, and links were provided. Effective use of posters was described, and each Haitian faculty member created a poster which they would later use in their own classroom settings.

 

Results:  Haitian faculty members described the course as informative and valuable.  Their papers written for the course included newly-presented techniques as part of teaching plans.  Techniques taught in the course have been implemented by the Haitian faculty in their classes.

Conclusion: This course will be repeated in the future as part of the curriculum for the Regis College Haiti Project.  Strategies taught in the course have proven to be effective in Haitian classrooms. These low-cost strategies may be effective for teaching nursing in other developing countries, where nursing faculty face challenges similar to those in Haiti.