National League for Nursing Offers Guidance to Nurse Educators Seeking International Experiences
Faculty Preparation for Global Experiences Toolkit© Now Available
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY — January 30, 2012 — With the globe shrinking, thanks to the Internet, sophisticated technology, and advanced communications, there are increased opportunities for international experiences in nursing education. Hence, the need for the Faculty Preparation for Global Experiences Toolkit, an initiative of INESA (International Nursing Education, Services, and Accreditation), a joint task force of the National League for Nursing and NLN Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).
Todays nurse educators engage in international collaboration for many reasons: personal interest; the encouragement of a dean; the creation of a course or curriculum in global service learning or community/public health; promoting the educators home institution. And there are many roles a nurse educator can assume in an international setting: teacher, consultant, researcher, clinician. "Moreover," said NLN president, Dr. Judith Halstead, "research indicates that health outcomes improve with the heightened cultural sensitivity of caregivers. That's why nurse educators now have greater motivation than ever for gaining exposure to diverse, trans-cultural learning environments."
The toolkit consists of five sections that facilitate advance planning, provide practical advice for the time abroad, and aid in implementing lessons learned once the nurse educator returns to home base. The toolkit concludes with a bibliography and web-based resources for additional information. Among the many topics covered are:
- Selecting a host country
- Packing, visas, immunizations
- How to embrace unfamiliar customs and surroundings
- Special role of faculty abroad
- Faculty/student collaborations
- Evaluating the experience and designing next steps
"In the interest of increasing access to safe, quality health care worldwide, the NLN considers the advancement of global nursing education a priority. There is always so much to be learned from our colleagues around the world," noted NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.
Members of the committee that developed the toolkit were: Daria U. Amato, MSN, RN, CNE; Joyce Barra, PhD, RN; G. Elaine Patterson, EdD, FNP-C, RNC; Shannon E. Perry, PhD, RN, FAAN; Jane F. Sumner, PhD, RN, PHCNS, BC; and Virginia W. Adams, PhD, RN, consultant to the NLN.
The Faculty Preparation for Global Experiences Toolkit is available on the NLN website here.
For more information about the toolkit, contact Dr. Elaine Tagliareni at 212-812-0333 or etagliareni@nln.org.
Editors and reporters: For interview opportunities, please contact NLN chief communications officer, Karen R. Klestzick at 212-812-0376 or kklestzick@nln.org.
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 35,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members. NLN members represent nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations and agencies.