Paper
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Unique Approaches to Nursing Education
Study Abroad Experiences for Nursing Students in U.S. Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
Mary Ann Thompson, RN, DrPH, Nursing, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN, USA and Esther P. Haloburdo, RN, PhD, Nursing, Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Describe the status of study abroad in college and university based nursing programs in the United States.
Learning Objective #2: Describe the change in study abroad experiences for undergraduate and graduate nursing students from 1985 to 2005.
Nursing's accrediting bodies call for the inclusion of global health perspectives in all nursing education in the United States (AACN, 1998; NLN, 2004). One method for meeting this goal is study abroad. Little is known about how many nursing programs actually provide international study and how many students participate. The last comprehensive survey of study abroad in nursing programs was conducted in 1984 (Lindquist, 1986). A smaller survey was conducted in 1995 (Wright, et. al, 1998). Purpose: The purpose was to describe the status of study abroad opportunities for undergraduate and graduate nursing students in U.S. colleges and universities, and to determine if study abroad opportunities for nursing students had changed in twenty years. Method: Descriptive, quantitative design. The questionnaire consisted of 16 items, designed by the investigators, reflective of questions included in Lindquist's (1986) original survey. Six hundred seventy-nine (679) surveys were mailed to all AACN member and non-member schools in the continental United States. Completed surveys were returned by 437 schools, for a response rate of 65%. Findings: Approximately 1/3 of U.S. nursing programs report some type of study abroad opportunity. An additional 30% of schools have future plans for a program. The majority of schools offer short-term ( 2 to 4 weeks)study abroad options for fewer than 20 students per year. Ninety-six different countries, both developed and less developed, are utilized. The content focus, planning, financing, and evaluation of the programs are described. Faculty issues and financing pose barriers to study abroad. Conclusions: The number and types of study abroad experiences for nursing students has increased over the last 20 years. Programs have begun to recognize the value of such experiences for internationalizing the curriculum and for the personal and professional growth of students.

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