A traditional study abroad in nursing lasts for an entire semester, which may not be feasible, or affordable, for all nursing students. An alternative nursing course with a condensed two week global experience to Sydney, Australia explores global health and healthcare development. This opportunity provides students with a more affordable study abroad when compared to the full semester of travel. The course also offers a unique opportunity to experience Australia virtually for those students who are unable to travel. Soria and Troisi (2013) found that virtual global experiences had similar benefits when compared to study abroad experiences as related to perceived global, international and cultural competencies. Using Sydney, Australia as the exemplar, students, virtually and in vivo, learn about the historic and cultural concepts that are uniquely Australian while studying diversity of contemporary Sydney. Students explore the historical voyage of Australian healthcare from the colonial settlement to the current healthcare system and health policy. The course content includes understanding implications of early settlements, government funding and priorities in healthcare, cultural beliefs and practices, and lifestyle of the people. Nursing and healthcare issues in Australia are contrasted to the US and other global nations as students discover common themes in health and healthcare. A discussion of the major global nursing issues will highlight practice differences while exploring the professional development of student nurses (Benton, 2013). This courses offers exploration of colonial settlements, relates healthcare issues, and reviews the development of healthcare to the current practices of Australia. Sydney has a rich historical preservation program that allows students to get a glimpse of "how it was" to appreciate "how it is" currently.
While there are significant benefits to studying abroad, the clinical internship appears to be the most challenging program to establish. A nursing course that is incorporated into the curriculum is an innovative way to provide guided global experiential learning. Course development aimed at enhancing cultural understanding in global healthcare settings can incorporate a clinical internship. Clinical internships provide a platform for understanding health issues in developing and developed countries. Using the Sustainable Development Goals, students select issues and problems related to the native healthcare delivery system within the global context (United Nations Official Document, 2015). The clinical internship offers students insight in providing culturally competent care and supports collaborative research and service opportunities for nurses. In this course, students complete readings from relevant books, journals, and international media that relate to a cultural immersion hands-on clinical internship in countries such as Australia, India, and Vietnam. Students travel to other countries for typically two weeks and work with nurses at the bedside to provide nursing care including assessment, basic care, and vital signs (Rana, 2014). The evaluation of students includes successful completion of the clinical internship, a reflective analysis journal, and a research paper. Global experiential learning using clinical internships can be a valuable tool in teaching nursing students about global healthcare (Benton, 2016). Nursing students benefit from this experiential clinical internship by gaining a global perspective in healthcare delivery before launching into the professional practice. Overall, nursing and healthcare students benefit from gaining a global perspective in healthcare delivery before launching into professional practice.
Study abroad courses are sustainable global options for nursing students in developing global healthcare competencies. These programs may have a service learning component or research activities, but all examine nursing and healthcare from a global perspective. Students have expressed very positive feedback from these global experiences. These unique opportunities help develop students views of global healthcare and some students further their education in health policy and volunteer for mission trips upon graduation. Overall, clinical internships and alternative study abroad options are a catalyst for nursing students into global healthcare.