Dr. Pilar Fuster, lecturer in the Nursing Department-UIC Barcelona
One of my first international experiences as a teacher was on the course Empowering Learning Environments in Nursing Education (EleneIP) which was organised by the University of Turku. This course, aimed at future nursing teachers, was funded twice by the Erasmus Lifelong Learning programme as an Intensive Erasmus course. It was the first initiative to create a common learning space for future nursing teachers from different countries in Europe and focused on using social media as teaching tools as the core theme. The programme was run for the first time in June 2013.
Prior to this experience, as a student, I had undertaken the EANS Summer courses for doctoral studies, so I had some idea of what it meant to be a student and to learn in an international environment. However, the EleneIP course gave me the opportunity to share with other nursing teachers my own knowledge and the tools we had worked on at my university, which could improve the teaching competence of other colleagues. It was a truly satisfying and very inspiring experience, which I not only perceived as a teacher, but was shared by the students on the course. The participants, who came from different countries with very different academic backgrounds, highlighted the acquisition of skills and knowledge of teaching methodologies (social media-simulation-collaborative learning) and of teaching content (ethical aspects-assessment and use of digital materials-cultural and educational aspects and different health systems). In addition, they rated their experiences very positively, highlighting cooperation, teamwork and the opportunity to learn in a multicultural environment.
But it wasn’t just about the teaching methodology and materials. As a personal experience it was fantastic. I shared this course with eight students who came from my university, including classmates and friends. For someone who comes from Spain, who is used to a warm climate, it was quite a challenge to get used to the cold, the long nights and the silence, to share a sauna and swim in icy water! To get to know another culture, different landscapes, a different cuisine! Exchanging stories and understanding how culture shapes our view of the world, what we say, how we perceive things, what things mean to us, to be aware of the differences and how they enrich us, was one of the most important things I took with me. It was without a doubt one of the best experiences for forging closer bonds with colleagues and making new connections!
These types of encounter lead to growth and personal and professional opportunities. In addition to gaining new knowledge, they are a unique opportunity for fostering discussion between those working in an area, in our case, to discuss the education of nursing teachers at a European level. It is also a way to grow as a profession. It helps us to open our minds to different realities from our own, to share concerns and interests and to identify best practices so that we can then share them, discuss them and put them into practice in our own institutions, thereby making improvements through experience-based learning. And not only that, this type of course creates a unique environment of collaboration and cooperation, which encourages the development of new networks, multiplying opportunities for cooperation between participants.
Dr. Pilar Fuster, lecturer in the Nursing Department-UIC Barcelona
References
Salminen, L., Gustafsson, M. L., Vilén, L., Fuster, P., Istomina, N., & Papastavrou, E. (2016). Nurse teacher candidates learned to use social media during the international teacher training course. Nurse Education Today, 36, 354-359.
Papastavrou, E., Hamari, L., Fuster, P., Istomina, N., & Salminen, L. (2016). Using blogs for facilitating and connecting nurse educator candidates. Nurse education today, 45, 35-41.