This presentation will describe a cross-cultural experience in which nursing educators from Drexel University conducted a nursing simulation workshop at Akal College of Nursing in Baru Sahib, India. As part of an on-going collaboration between Drexel and Akal, an experiential simulation workshop was conducted for Akal nursing students and faculty and visiting students and faculty from northern India. Morning lectures were followed by two simulation exercises: (1) nursing students participating in a birthing simulation using a birthing simulator, and (2) using students from Akal Department of Education as patient actors who portrayed a patient whose health history was taken by an Akal nursing student. Using two birth simulators, simulation exercises were presented that were congruent with the nurse’s work with pregnant moms in rural villages. Groups of students were able to safely practice birthing a baby, educate the parents, and negotiate with the demanding father in the simulation setting. The simulators were donated to the college with the expectation that they would be not only be used to teach nursing students but also used to allow students/faculty to teach expectant mothers in the surrounding rural community. In the patient actor simulation experience, nursing students interviewed the “patients” in individual cubicles. Debriefing sessions to promote learning and critical thinking were led by the three facilitators. Students shared their thoughts and feelings about the exercises. Interestingly enough, the Department of Education Students who were the actors were just as enthusiastic about the learning and felt that they were able to apply the learning methodologies to their education practice. Nursing students at Akal have an extended community experience which includes following families throughout their four years. All students learn midwifery and can be involved in births in the community setting. Follow up activities to this workshop included a return visit within six months by two nurse midwife faculty members who assessed use of the simulators by students in the community. In another recent follow-up visit, the concept of setting up scenarios for student learning was taught to all faculty including newly hired faculty. Four young faculty began the process in October. This workshop is just one example of the successful collaboration between a private university in the United States and a faith-based university in an isolated area of northern India.
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