Two worlds apart: experiential learning in Ghana.
As our society becomes more diverse, it is important for nursing students to become culturally competent and to view the world from a global perspective. Traveling abroad enlightens the senses and expands the worldview. Traveling for study abroad is more than taking a vacation; it affords students the opportunity to learn experientially and it can be a transforming encounter that influences the way an evolving nurse will practice. Nursing students at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, had the opportunity to bridge two worlds, urban life at the university and village life in Dodowa, Ghana, West Africa. The purpose of this article is to explore the role that studying abroad has in nurturing experiential learning. The experiences of students from a southern historically Black university that were enrolled concurrently in two summer independent study courses focusing on global healthcare in Ghana, West Africa, are described.
Ware
Sharon Douglass
SD
North Carolina Central University, Department of Nursing, 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707, USA. sware@nccu.edu
Winters-Moorhead
Carol
C
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning