Improving international nurse training: an American–Italian case study

Abstract

While the specific circumstances and cultures involved in this particular case study should not be ignored, these factors might also be applied to maximize the positive effects of nurse-migration. Two-way learning is among the positive effects of such an international training experience. Motivational and team-building effects can result in enhanced quality of care and a more efficient allocation of resources. However, the mind-opening effect seems to be the most important learning experience. Therefore, regardless of whether one system is considered better or worse than another, experiencing a different way of nursing/education is considered the most important, enriching element of an international learning experience. The effects of this experience could include avoiding cultural imposition in the increased cultural diversity of nursing in the country of origin.

Developing cultural sensitivity: nursing students’ experiences of a study abroad programme

“…An opportunity to be immersed in another culture may be instrumental in enabling nurses to adopt an attitude of Bildung, or remaining open to meaning, a sentiment echoed by Duffy (2001), who argues that being made vulnerable through personal change is an important pathway in the development of cultural sensitivity. It may also help nurses appreciate what it means to be different and alienated from the majority culture, and how this affects the development of culturally inclusive practices (Dubois et al 2006). As DeSantis (1988) claims, to adjust to cultural differences, it is necessary to suspend personal, cultural traditions temporarily to perceive the ways of others.…”

Global Nurse Migration Today

“…Efforts to increase language competency, ameliorate accents, and facilitate nurses' adaptation to their new cultural surroundings are gaining popularity in the US and elsewhere (Dubois, Padovano, & Stew, 2006; Gerrish & Griffith, 2004). Companies that specialize in preparing information technology and call‐center workers in voice modulation and cultural grooming are now partnered with hospital groups and nurse recruitment agencies and reinforce the market's shifting expectation of nurse migrants from temporary workers to long‐term employees who must be “fit for duty, communicate in English, and be accent free”(Brush & Vasupuram, 2006, p. 182).…”

Internationalization in Education: The British Colonial Policies on Education in Nigeria 1882 - 1926

“…The view expressed above indicates the support and encouragement western education received from the Nigerians, who showed their zeal to experience other types of education different from the one (traditional/indigenous) they were used to. Supporting this opinion, Dubois et al (2006) submit that "… regardless of whether one system is considered better or worse than another, experiencing a different way of education can often be considered to be the most important enriching element of an international learning experience".…”