JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Given the limitations imposed by the COVID-19, a fuller understanding of how nursing programs around the globe have implemented distance education methods and related initiatives to provide international exchanges as well as complementary aspects of practical education would be constructive for nursing students. It is expected that online international exchanges through virtual communication will continue to be increasingly utilized after the pandemic; therefore, it is time to discuss the effects and direction of these developments.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine the impact of an online international exchange program on prelicensure nursing students’ international and global competencies.

Methods:

A mixed-methods design of quantitative (online surveys) and qualitative (focus group interviews) was used. A total of 15 students participated in the program. The surveys were used to examine the changes in participants’ global leadership competencies, and the focus group interviews were used to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement. The online international exchange program consisted of seven synchronous virtual classroom sessions. Each session ran for 60-90 minutes. Faculty experts and nurses working in the United States (U.S.) discussed various topics with students, such as nursing education in the U.S., and evidence-based online teaching and learning. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, and content analysis methods.

Results:

The participants reported improvement in their global leadership competencies. Four main categories emerged from analysis of the focus interviews: (1) realistic applicability, (2) clarification, (3) expansion of perspectives, and (4) initiative.

Conclusions:

The online international exchange program had a positive impact on the development of students’ international competencies. The findings support the further development of international exchange programs through virtual meetings in the post-pandemic era. Clinical Trial: N/A