Collaborative pediatric international cultural learning: mutual learning success

20^th Global Nursing Education Conference

March 21-23, 2018 | New York, USA

Sharon Elizabeth Metcalfe

Western Carolina University, USA

Keynote: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Statement of the Problem: The nursing profession is evolving, and expanding to become more international in scope. Jie, Andreatta, Liping, and Sijian (2010) found that immersion for student nurses experiencing an international perspective facilitates their personal and professional growth, and allows them to understand different cultures and global issues. International experiences provide students an awareness of pediatric global nursing issues. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: In a systematic review of 23 empirical articles regarding international student exchange experiences, Kolbuk, Mitchell, Glick, and Greiner (2012) found that there were no articles describing two-way exchange experiences in global pediatric nursing education and that there were not any models for best practice for international student clinical immersion exchanges. Findings: This presentation describes the need for understanding pediatric global nursing through exchange programs and discusses a collaborative partnership between two schools of nursing and a pediatric hospital in the United Kingdom and United Stated of America. This partnership has been in existence for eight years. Conclusions & Significance: The program prepares students for global awareness of pediatric nursing roles through clinical immersion and self-directed learning experiences. Students are transformed in the clinical mentoring that takes place with guidance of pediatric nurses in both the pediatric hospital in the United Kingdom and the United States. Students are guided and led through pediatric clinical experiences with both ambulatory and critically-ill children and are exposed to international differences and similarities in nursing and medical care. The students learn the various differences in pediatric care within both countries and appreciate the nursing care practices in delivery of care. This program continues to be successful and proves to be an educational foundation in pediatrics.

Biography :

Sharon Elizabeth Metcalfe, EdD, MSN, RN, is Interim Director and Associate Professor at Western Carolina University in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Her previous academic appointments have been as a Dean of Nursing for a private college. She has been an Educational Grants Researcher with colleges and hospitals. Currently, she is serving on the Board of the North Carolina Nursing Association Foundation. Her research agenda is on global leadership development and mentoring transformational nurse leaders with pediatric nursing students. She has been serving as the Program Director of the NN-CAT Program (Nursing Network-Careers and Technology), a national program that provides scholarships, stipends, and personal mentors to underrepresented ethnic minority students. She strives to help students to learn on an international level and gain knowledge of differences and similarities in Pediatric Nursing.