Partnering to Provide Public Health Nursing Experiences at the “Top of the World”

Background/Issue: Opportunities to expose students to public health nursing are becoming more limited as clinical sites are highly sought after for both traditional and online nursing education programs. Some states have a wealth of nursing programs (e.g. Minnesota), while others have only a handful (e.g. Alaska). Subsequently, these areas with fewer schools are also at risk for health professional shortages.

Description: This presentation highlights an innovative partnership with the North Slope Borough in Barrow, Alaska to develop a public health nursing clinical rotation for students from a small, Minnesota, liberal arts college. The 7-week rotation includes maternal-child health in Fairbanks, Alaska and public health nursing in Barrow, Alaska. Students participate in all aspects of public health nursing while in Alaska ranging from primary preventative care screenings in remote villages to mass immunization clinics, while also experiencing  cultural and geographical diversity.

Lessons Learned: To measure student learning outcomes, the Civic Attitudes and Skills Questionnaire (CASQ, 2002) was administered pre- and post-travel for participating students and their classmates, as well as reflective journaling activities. Analysis of quantitative and narrative data reveals the students had profound learning experiences, established strong civic attitudes, and developed a deep appreciation for diversity.

Implications: The results of the study highlight the educational and civic benefits of cross-cultural experiences for nursing students.