Paper short abstract:

The programme Global Nursing uses the heterogeneous class of nursing students to stimulate exchanging perspectives and experiencing diversity. Students are than prepared for their work in other societies, independent if the differences are based on gender, ethnicity, class, religion among others.

Paper long abstract:

The last two decades there has been a discussion in Europe on successful training of nurses with regard to an increasing diversification of their patients. Transcultural Nursing, Intercultural Communication among other theories and models were discussed and implemented to increase the sensitivity and professionalism of nursing staff towards ethnic minority patients. Reacting to this condition the Faculty of Nursing developed and implemented a programme, called Global Nursing that aims at teaching nursing students how to work with heterogeneous patient's populations in Amsterdam as well as in other countries. The programme is based on a definition of heterogeneity beyond culture including differences such as gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, educational level.

In the programme Global Nursing English is the teaching language, and hence the interest of international students increases. Therefore, learning communities develop, enhancing the learning process, in which students and teachers have a diversity of backgrounds, not only in the point of view of the country of origin but others as well. In the different modules nursing students experience diversity by participating rather than only reading, writing and talking over diversity. Through discussions, organization of an exhibition, project work, internships their task is to research, practice and taking responsibility on all kinds of diversity issues.

The aim of this paper is the presentation of the programme Global Nursing, its challenges and the difficulty in measuring the learning outcomes - are nursing students really prepared for their work in heterogeneous societies?