Long-term impact of an international online collaboration–The perspective of nursing students

This article reports on a research project investigating the perspective of nursing students regarding the long-term impact of participation in an international online collaboration called Globally Networked Learning (GNL). At the end of GNL, the students responded that they achieved a broader understanding of how culture influenced nursing and healthcare in Canada and Denmark. The aim of this study was to find out whether GNL had a long-term impact on the Danish students’ learning process towards earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach to the study was found to be useful in creating knowledge about the students’ perceived long-term impact of participation in GNL. Eight Danish students participated in this follow-up project. Data were generated through narrative interviews and the interpretation was inspired by Paul Ricoeur’s interpretation theory. Analysis and interpretation led to the four themes: Significance for the encounter with the individual, significance for the educational programme, improved English skills, and studying abroad after GNL. The conclusion was that from the perspective of nursing students, GNL had had a long-term impact on the Danish students’ educational programme and their nursing practice. The study is relevant to nursing education, as it contributes with knowledge about the long-term impact of an international online collaboration in the nursing programme and about studying abroad after an international online collaboration.