Global experience provides learners in health care, whether students in health disciplines or professionals in clinical practice, with opportunities to gain cultural humility (Cleaver et al., 2016); be better equipped to communicate effectively and work productively in culturally diverse environments (Busse, Aboneh and Tefera, 2014); and develop disciplinary knowledge in a broad cultural, political, socio-economical and ethical context (Jogerst et al., 2015). However, creating an international academic exchange program may seem daunting. We have initiated a unique collaborative relationship with China that involves both students and health professionals and plan to continue this relationship in the future. This exchange program allows nursing and occupational therapy students from our institution to participate in an independent study project at a private hospital in China and licensed clinicians (starting with nurses only) from that hospital to be engaged in interprofessional education at our institution in the United States. Our purpose is to discuss the best practices used to create a global exchange experience that is mutually benefiting to both partners.
Methods:
By applying relevant content from the literature and from lessons that we learned from our experience, we have identified three best practices that we have implemented.
Results:
The first is to establish trust (Ezezika, 2015), especially important in China, which means spending sufficient time getting to know each other and setting clear goals before the academic exchange; during this step, agreements that cover resources that are needed and any financial arrangements if needed should be made. The second is to develop a curriculum for each experience that addresses global competencies (Jogerst et al., 2015) and specific learning objectives; during this step, the participants have clear expectations for a mutually beneficial experience for both sides and keen awareness of the potential harms of short-term activities (Lasker et al., 2018). The third is to create an evaluation plan that includes deliverables, debriefing (Bender and Walker, 2013) and reporting by the participants; during this step, participants and their institutions on both sides learn from the experience and address any potential concerns.
Conclusion:
By ensuring clear communication to avoid miscommunication due to cultural differences and mutual benefit and providing a framework that guides decisions for future opportunities, these practices are recommended for all global academic exchanges.