In 2013, the first twelve GVSU undergraduate students from the traditional and second degree BSN programs spent two weeks at UCC over their spring break and the week afterwards. Two UCC faculty members collaborated with two GVSU faculty to organize learning activities which included healthcare delivery and categories of healthcare providers in Ghana and similarities and differences in healthcare delivery and nursing programs (UCC and GVSU). Students explored the role played by the Student Nurses Association and how they might interact and make it possible to work side by side. They eventually conducted health screening across the lifespan working with community leaders who mobilized their community members. UCC and GVSU students and faculty teamed together to conduct home visits to follow up immobile seniors, prenatal mothers and vaccination defaulters. The lead author has strengthened the relationship between the two schools by completing a one year Fulbright Scholarship at UCC in 2013-2014 helping to develop their MSN program and continuing to train host country onsite faculty and clinical preceptors for both UCC and GVSU programs. The lead author has supervised some MSN theses leading to the beginning of collaborative research with one of the UCC coauthors. Since 2015 the lead author returns to UCC each summer to work with graduate students and mentoring some faculty thereby maintaining the relationship with nursing faculty, partners and community workers. This has had a great impact of experience on students and faculty’s personal, academic, life skills, and competencies regarding their roles on world perspectives and transcultural nursing.
It has now been five years of ongoing partnership between GVSU and UCC. Along the way, students from the GVSU RN-BSN and DNP programs have also been added to the mix of students going to UCC. Each year the process of GVSU training and organization improves. The next endeavor involves UCC students coming to GVSU.