The role of public and community health nursing in international care has been a focus since the beginning of Harding University's nursing program in 1975 with the first group of students participating in international health care in 1978. Since that time, we have offered international clinical experiences (for credit and non-credit) to students allowing them to meet the objectives set forth in our curriculum: nursing process, communication, research, teaching/learning, critical thinking, leadership, christian principles, and global perspective. Recent community health nursing clinicals in which community health nursing students have been involved include 7 week clinical experiences in Kenya and Nigeria, Africa. Their clinical experiences involve living and working in a community; dealing specifically with the problems of communicable diseases such as TB, AIDS, malaria; maternal/child health issues and cross-cultural communication. They are able to complete objectives related to assessing a community, a family and other aggregates. This global experiences has not only broadened the students' knowledge of public health, but has increased their perspectives of cultural groups and their related health needs.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. describe a successful model used by a BSN program in the development of a global perspective in community health nursing
Keywords: International Public Health, Public Health Education
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Harding University School of Nursing
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.