Patricia A Daoust
Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
Title: Improving global nursing education exchange by improving cultural transition
Biography
Biography: Patricia A Daoust
Abstract
Massachusetts General Hospital-Global Health Nursing enhances the status and reach of nursing on a global scale by focusing on nursing education, leadership and professional advocacy. We work collaboratively with our nurse colleagues in schools of nursing and healthcare facilities in resource limited settings primarily in Uganda and Tanzania. Through our global nurse fellowship program, we provide valuable theoretical and clinical expertise in direct response to requests from our academic partners. Although recognized as leaders in the field of nursing education, the cultural transition that any nurse must make to work effectively in a developing country cannot be underestimated. In order to appropriately equip our visiting faculty, we have developed a pre-departure curriculum that helps ease the transition of living and teaching in another culture thus increasing the likelihood of a successful experience that is mutually beneficial. Considering the essential role that a well-educated nurse plays, it is vital that we better prepare our global nurse educators for the challenges they will confront in order to make informed behavioral decisions, and use teaching strategies that are culturally appropriate and impactful. We provide 10 tips that have been shown to enhance the international experience and we teach participants to recognize 5 stages of cultural adaptation. The curriculum contrasts the roles and responsibilities of the nurse in developing countries, the educational variances, and specific health system structures. Our goal is to share our experiences with other global nursing educational initiatives so that learning is enhanced and global nurse educators are empowered.