An Online International Collaborative Learning Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Nursing Students: Mixed Methods Study

Promoting Global Health Knowledge and Cultural Competence of Swedish and Somali Nursing Students Through Collaborative Virtual Seminars: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

INTRODUCTION

Engaging nursing students in transdisciplinary learning and collaborative activities will prepare them for future roles in promoting global health knowledge and cultural competence. The purpose of this study was to describe undergraduate nursing students' experiences of participating in collaborative virtual seminars intended to promote global health knowledge and increase cultural competence between a university in Sweden and a university in Somaliland.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured individual interviews and focus group discussions was conducted. Notably, 27 nursing students who participated in a collaborative virtual seminar were included. Data were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Nursing students reported having gained profound comprehension of and a broadened perspective on global health, cultural awareness, and curiosity crucial for their roles as future global nurses.

DISCUSSION

Fostering global health knowledge and cultural competence among nursing students through collaborative virtual seminars is advantageous as it enhances their cultural competence in nursing.

Systematic Review on Characteristics and Effects of Leadership Development Interventions for Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

Effective nursing leadership improves health care quality, patient well-being, and nursing staff outcomes. Newly graduated nurses face challenges in transitioning into leadership roles. Thus, examining the leadership development interventions for nursing students is critical.

PURPOSE

This systematic review examined the characteristics and effectiveness of leadership development interventions designed for and implemented with undergraduate nursing students.

METHODS

A comprehensive search covered Scopus, CINAHL Ultimate, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, WOS Core Collection, Journals@Ovid, JSTOR Journals, and ERIC databases. Included studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS

The final review comprised 19 studies showcasing positive impacts on leadership development. The interventions varied in leadership approach, design and content, structure, qualifications, student involvement, and outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Leadership development interventions are effective in enhancing nursing students' leadership. Nevertheless, future interventions should prioritize well-structured content, and studies must incorporate robust methodologies.

Transforming Health Through Communities: An Experience From a Collaborative Online International Learning Program

BACKGROUND

For many years, universities have placed a strong emphasis on providing students with an internationalization experience through study-abroad programs; however, the recent pandemic led many universities to look for alternatives to continue offering students an international experience.

METHOD

This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a collaborative online international learning (COIL) experience between nursing students in Australia and the United Kingdom.

RESULTS

Students explored community spirit in the recovery from COVID-19. Students positively rated the experience and shared insights and outcomes gained from the program.

CONCLUSION

The COIL experience exposed nursing students from Australia and the United Kingdom to learn about public health issues and develop cultural awareness and a sense of global community. Future programs should evaluate the long-term effects on students' nursing practice and their careers. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(7):387-392.].

Enhancing intercultural sensitivity in Japanese nursing students through international online nursing courses: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Globalization has highlighted the importance of being competent in communicating with people of various cultural backgrounds.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of international courses for nursing students through online education in terms of intercultural sensitivity and perceived English proficiency.

DESIGN

A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with an online self-reported questionnaire was conducted.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

Participants were second-, third-, and fourth-year nursing students at a medical university in Tokyo in the spring term of 2021.

METHOD

Measurements were performed before and after the international nursing courses, which consisted of 1) nursing communication English, taught by native English instructors to second- and third-year students; and 2) international health nursing, taught by overseas-experienced faculty members to fourth-year students. Furthermore, there is an elective Collaborative Online International Learning course, where students discuss, collaborate, and complete common assignments with students from a university in the United States. Intercultural sensitivity was measured using the Japanese version of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale. The pre- and post-test intercultural sensitivity were compared using a paired t-test. Content analysis was employed to analyze the open-ended questions.

RESULTS

A total of 104 students' data were analyzed. Students' intercultural sensitivity mean improved significantly from 79.88 ± 8.47 (pre) to 83.04 ± 8.63 (post). Participants in the elective course (n = 7) showed significantly higher intercultural sensitivity levels than non-participants. The self-evaluated English proficiency of second- and third-year students who took English courses significantly improved after the courses. Themes extracted by elective course participants revealed students' perceptions toward learning about diverse cultures, resilience, and intercultural communication skills, which they can utilize for nursing practice in the future.

CONCLUSION

Taking international nursing courses can increase nursing students' intercultural sensitivity. Universities are encouraged to provide international nursing courses to help enhance their cultural sensitivity and competency for their future nursing careers.

Using Collaborative Online International Learning to Support Global Midwifery Education

BACKGROUND AND LOCAL PROBLEM

The COVID-19 pandemic created a gap in global health learning, requiring creative solutions to bridge the divide. Collaborative online international learning (COIL) is a program between universities located in different geographic areas that aims to build cross-cultural learning and collaboration.

INTERVENTION

Faculty members from Uganda and the United States worked collaboratively to plan a 2-session COIL activity for nursing and midwifery students. Twenty-eight students from the United States and Uganda participated in the pilot quality improvement project.

MEASURES

Students completed a 13-question REDCap survey measuring satisfaction, time commitment for the activity, and increase in knowledge about differently resourced healthcare systems. Students also were asked to provide qualitative feedback in that survey.

RESULTS

Survey results indicate a high level of satisfaction and an increased understanding of a new healthcare system. The majority of students wanted more scheduled activity times, the opportunity to meet face to face, and/or more robust sessions in the future.

CONCLUSION

This COIL activity between students in the United States and Uganda was a no-cost activity that provided global health learning opportunities for students during the global pandemic. The COIL model is replicable, adaptable, and customizable for a variety of courses and time spans.

Reflection on feasibility and usability of interactive online international exchange program for occupational therapy students

The COVID-19 pandemic affected international exchange programs due to travel restrictions. There are few reports of online international exchange programs in medical area and no report of interactive activities among students together for several months. To the best of our knowledge, we needed to seek the feasible approach to conduct online exchange program. We experienced online collaboration works to promote internationalization in occupational therapy (OT) undergraduate education. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility and usability of an interactive online international exchange program, and discuss its challenges and advantages. The three-month program was newly developed, and aimed at cultivating an international perspective, understanding OT, and learning basic research skills. Students' interests and the development of their motivation were considered in the program consisting of synchronous and asynchronous lectures, a collaboration research project, group work, and report assignments. Through the program, students were satisfied with the program contents and had the precious experience to develop international relationships. The online exchange program provided students with the opportunity to experience and learn OT education internationally at an economical cost, and to achieve program goal during the regular semester. In this program, students not only acquired knowledge in their professional field, but also cultivated their international communication skills in English from small group activities and social activities. Considering various communication methods was an important aspect in the virtual environment leading to a successful program. In medical education, an online program can be an effective and practical measure for international exchange.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44217-023-00031-4.

Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reflection Groups on Advanced Practice Nurse Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus Group Study With Master’s Students

Background

In the master’s program of advanced practice nursing at a Norwegian university college, the learning activity reflection groups were converted into virtual reflection group (VRG) meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the students’ clinical practices in different hospitals, they could participate in the same VRG meeting on the web together with the educator from the university college, and the clinical supervisors were invited to participate. The students were in the process of developing the core competence required in their role as advanced practice nurses (APNs), and they had increased responsibility in the implementation of the VRG meetings.

Objective

In this study, we aimed to explore how master’s students of advanced practice nursing experienced VRG meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A qualitative exploratory design was adopted using focus group interviews. A group of students in the master’s program of advanced practice nursing participated in an interview that lasted for 60 minutes. They had experienced participating in the VRG meetings following a rigorous guide during their clinical practice. The data from the focus group were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The main findings of this study highlighted the importance of structure in VRG meetings, the role of increased responsibility in students’ learning processes, the development of APN students’ competencies, and increased professional collaboration with clinical supervisors. The APN students and clinical supervisors also continued their discussions in the clinical setting afterward, which strengthened the collaboration between students’ education in the master’s program and their clinical practice.

Conclusions

VRG meetings gave the students the opportunity to lead professional discussions while reflecting thoroughly on the chosen patient cases from clinical practice. They experienced receiving feedback from fellow students, supervisors, and educators as stimulating their critical thinking development.

Implementation of a collaborative online international learning program in nursing education: protocol for a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

An essential component of becoming a professional nurse is a perspective of global health issues and an awareness of diverse populations. Collaborative online international learning (COIL) using digital technologies, offers meaningful and rewarding opportunities to develop international partnerships between nurses from other countries, without economic, organisational or geographical barriers. Despite reported advantages of using COIL, few COIL interventions have been identified in the nursing literature. The aims of this study are to develop, implement and evaluate a COIL program between Australian and Canadian pre-registration nursing students.

METHODS

The study will utilize a mixed methods approach incorporating pre and post-test surveys, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders. The design will adhere to The State University of New York (SUNY) COIL's criteria for intercultural/international learning opportunities. Participants will be recruited from nursing programs at an Australian Training and Further Education Institute and a Canadian college. Bennett's stages of intercultural competence will provide the theoretical framework for the research. Four specific research interventions will be developed for this project. For students, there will be an online virtual community to allow students and teachers to communicate, socially connect and share resources with each other. Virtual reality simulations will be employed within a virtual global classroom to promote collaborative, intercultural learning. For faculty, a virtual community of practice will provide a platform for faculty to share education and research ideas and participate in collaborate research opportunities.

DISCUSSION

This study will evaluate the outcomes of a nursing COIL program. It will measure participants' views on COIL, its contribution to student learning, changes in cultural awareness, organisational impact and research productivity. It will provide nursing students with the opportunity to become global leaders in nursing care and for faculty to develop international research skills and outputs. The findings from the study will allow further refinement of future nursing COIL programs.