Sharon Elizabeth Metcalfe
Western Carolina University, USA
Title: Collaborative pediatric international cultural learning: Mutual learning success
Biography
Biography: Sharon Elizabeth Metcalfe
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.