Learning Objective #1: Identify issues and concerns related to implementing a study tour at an American school of nursing

Learning Objective #2: Discuss beneficial outcomes for participants in a nursing study tour at an American university

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In today's increasingly diverse world, it is imperative that nurses be prepared to meet its new challenges. Short-term international travel courses provide one way to develop cultural sensitivity through encounters with culturally different groups. International activity provides nursing students with the opportunity to compare and contrast their own and other health care systems and cultures, leading both to empirical knowledge and professional growth. The purpose of this survey is to describe and evaluate efforts to provide an international experience for students at an American university school of nursing. In Spring 2000, an international travel course was introduced as an undergraduate and graduate nursing elective. The initial offering featured a two-week trip to Sweden and Iceland. These countries were chosen because of the strong emphasis on Primary Health Care in the Nordic countries, a philosophy upon which the school's graduate and undergraduate curricula are based. Prior to the trip, seminars were held via videoconference between the school's two campuses. Written assignments, modified according to level to meet either graduate or undergraduate course objectives, allowed students to focus their thinking about American systems and do preliminary fact-finding about healthcare in the host countries. A two-week trip took place immediately following the semester. It consisted of seminars, site visits, and cultural excursions, arranged by the nursing departments of the host universities. In subsequent years, the course was modified to feature a ten-day trip to Iceland only, with travel either during spring break or following the spring semester. Following each trip, an anonymous survey was conducted, using a faculty-developed questionnaire. Student logs and faculty field notes provided further data. Data analysis revealed several issues and practical concerns regarding the international experience. Based on the findings, ongoing revisions were made in the program. Multiple benefits of participation in the course and trip were also identified.