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Lessons Learned in Nursing Education: Framing a Rural Health Immersion Course with a Global Health Perspective
Nearly one-half of the global population lives in rural areas, but only about one third of nurses practice in these settings (WHO, 2010). Few undergraduate nursing students receive substantive education in global health. Importantly, the principles of global health and the competencies required of rural public health nurses are rarely aligned. Thus, a critical opportunity in nursing education is overlooked and graduate nurses may be unprepared for the work in which they are most needed.
Description:
This poster will describe how the principles of global health nursing can frame and strengthen an immersion course in rural health nursing. Local environmental health issues are related to global issues of climate change and environmental policy. Work with local immigrant and refugee populations bring to life the impact that global concerns like war, infectious disease, and economic opportunity can have on rural public health. Consulting and collaborating with local cultural brokers mirrors a common effective practice of global health nurses.
Lessons Learned:
The rewards and limitations of applying global health principles to a local rural immersion course will be identified and examined. Learning metrics and reflections from students, preceptors, and faculty will be assessed, and the faculty role in helping to integrate theoretical frameworks with grounded clinical experience will be described.
Implications:
We must prepare graduating nurses for practice in the areas in which they are most needed. Framing a rural health immersion course with a global health perspective offers students critical context and a percipience that will enhance their preparation for practice in any setting.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and culturePublic health or related education
Public health or related nursing
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health
Learning Objectives:
Identify the gap in nursing education separating global health experiences from typical public health nursing coursework.
Explain how a global health perspective applies to local public health practice in a rural setting in the U.S.
Describe at least three ways in which the principles of global health can be integrated into rural health nursing education.
Discuss the value of integrating the principles of global health into a rural health nursing practicum.
Evaluate their own curriculum for the inclusion of global health principles.
Demonstrate application of at least one of the lessons learned from this project to the design of a course in public health nursing.
Keyword(s): Rural Health, Public Health Curricula & Competencies
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the professor for the course described and responsible for the design and delivery of all curricula and course activities. I have 14 years of experience as a practicing public health nurse, and have taught public health nursing theory, as well as a community-based clinical practicum in public health nursing, for several years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.