title: External examiners: international collaboration in nursing education.
abstract: With the advent of mass communication, air travel, and most recently the World Wide Web, the need for global considerations in nursing and nursing education has emerged as a strong force. Nurses who serve as external examiners in international sites are participating in international collaboration in nursing education. The external examiner is defined as a visiting assessor of high academic standing with objectivity and integrity, who ensures that examination procedures are conducted according to regulations governing the academic degree. A long-standing British tradition in higher education, external examiners share in the intellectual effort of evaluating student courses and assessment strategies. The external examining experience consists of six steps: (1) appointment; (2) contract; (3) review of curriculum and examination materials; (4) on-site visit; (5) consolidating external and internal assessments; and (6) preliminary and final reports. The process is a complex one requiring the external examiner to function in multifaceted and complex roles. The authors, external examiners in Botswana, southern Africa, over a five-year period ending in 1997, present basic information about the process, the experience, and potential sources of difficulty when fulfilling the role.
authors.affiliation: Howard University College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, 501 Bryant Street, NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA. hk91030@aol.com
authors.forename: Harriett F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Karuhije
authors.forename: Coralease C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ruff
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008611:Mentors