Six Continents: One Undergraduate Public and Global Health Nursing Course

Friday, 28 July 2017: 11:03 AM

Leslie W. Miles, DNP
Scott K. Summers, MS
College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

Purpose: With globalization, the demand for culturally competent nurses who are prepared to provide quality care from a cultural point of view has increased. (Kokko, 2011). Research has shown a deficit of culturally sensitive care leads to “nurses [that] may have ethnocentric and stereotyped attitudes toward patients” (Kokko, 2011, p. 674). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2008) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice identified global health as an essential core knowledge area for nurses.

This presentation will highlight and discuss our challenges and successes with a variety of clinical sites meeting course outcomes over the years of providing cultural and global experiences for our nursing students.

Methods: Broadening undergraduate nursing students’ global health education and experience is paramount, but current nursing literature on how to implement global education is limited (Edmonds, 2012). In the United States, only 23% of baccalaureate nursing programs offer a semester abroad opportunity with only 44% of those colleges offering clinical nursing courses taught by nursing faculty (Read, 2011). A European Union student exchange program, European region access scheme for the mobility of University students (ERASMUS) is available for nursing students for education abroad that improves student’s ability to provide culturally competent care (Milne & Cowie, 2013).

The literature has shown an increase in confidence, self-awareness and overall enrichment in students who participate in a study abroad course (Long, 2016). This transformation rarely comes with didactic work alone, students do not always retain information that is presented, but are more likely to change through lived experiences (Long, 2016).

Results: For over 16 years, an American university college of nursing has coordinated multiple clinical sites utilizing nursing faculty to provide an adaptable high quality learning environment on six continents. All undergraduate nursing students in this college are required to take the public and global health course.

To ensure curriculum consistency and enhance cultural competence opportunities, a committee was formed to develop course outcomes and learning activities to be utilized for all clinical sites – both domestic and international.

The course outcomes include: 1) Acquired a basic understanding and perform thoughtful reflection of culture, diversity, social, economic, globalization, and environmental factors as it affects health care; 2) Exhibit inter-professional values, communication skills and culturally sensitive health care that is respectful of people with different backgrounds, socio-economic status, beliefs, or perspectives; and 3) Recognize their own biases and self-limitations and increase desire to learn from others and integrate cultural competency as a life-long learning process.

Conclusion: Currently the course is offered every spring term for 128 nursing students who span the world in three domestic sites (At-Risk, Refugee, and Veterans) and eight international sites: Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Ghana, Spain, Taiwan, Tonga and Vietnam. Clinical sites vary from high density populations to remote areas. Experiences include the following areas: hospitals, clinics, home care, schools, veteran facilities, public health, and international student collaboration. Each varied experience is designed to meet the course outcomes. Our collective experiences has resulted in unique know-how about how to tailor global health outcomes to diverse domestic and international sites.