Establishing a Global Institution Partnership for Nursing Education

Over a decade ago, nurse experts identified factors that impacted nursing practice in the 21st century, which began with the increasing globalization of healthcare and nursing education. Mobilization of nurses has prompted educators to take a close look at variables centered around the education of nurses.  A university located in the central part of the People's Republic of China, having over 17,200 students saw a need to strengthen its nursing program by strategically partnering with a university located in South Eastern United States. Both nursing programs met to review and evaluate the curriculum, and revisions were made to assure that the partner nursing program was consistent with the general education and nursing pre-requisite requirements  of the American university. Several factors were considered initially: course description; course hours; testing policies; clinical experiences to name a few.   A Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) was established between the two universities after a critical review of the nursing curricula. An institution partnership was established with the universities and nursing to implement a partnership that would advance nursing education and research with a global focus. Students from China will complete two years of their curriculum and then enroll in the American university for a two year study and receive a Baccalaureate of Nursing degree.  The partnership also provided opportunities for faculty of both universities to work together in a virtual environment as well as face-to-face, and for students to begin to establish relationships with the American faculty prior to their arrival. This presentation will focus on the leadership, planning process for establishing a global partnership and discuss strategies for creating a  seamless transfer process. This presentation is a unique example of how two universities from diverse countries and cultures learned to serve locally, transform regionally and lead globally.