An Assessment Toolkit for the University of Utah Ghana Study Abroad Program

Description: The purpose of this project was to identify outcomes of nursing study abroad, to identify tools to measure those outcomes, and to formulate a toolkit for the University of Utah College of Nursing Ghana study abroad (UUCONGSA) program to utilize for measurement of identified outcomes. Problem Statement: Many nursing study abroad (SA) programs do not evaluate outcomes. This is problematic in terms of meeting the standards of higher education and evidence-based practice, and in gaining administrative support. The UUCONGSA program did not evaluate outcomes. It was unknown whether reliable, validated tools were available to evaluate the outcomes that were identified in the literature. Objectives: The objectives of the project were to: 1. Describe the purpose, objectives, outcomes, and assessment of SA programs in nursing. 2. Identify assessment tools for identified SA outcomes. 3. Formulate a toolkit for UUCONGSA program. 5. Disseminate the toolkit to the director of UUCONGSA program, and to peers through professional poster presentation. 6. Disseminate findings to larger audience through poster or podium presentation. Literature Review: Study abroad has become common in higher education, partly due to increased focus on internationalization. The literature describes positive effects on participants and goals may be best met by international experiences. Outcomes in nursing SA are: increased cultural competence, transformative learning, development of global citizenship, personal and professional growth, and positive impacts on nursing practice. However, measurement of these outcomes has been limited. This problem was the basis for this project. Implementation & Evaluation: An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the purpose, objectives, outcomes, and assessment of SA. Tools were identified by literature review and internet search. The Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) website and the internet were searched to identify 10 colleges of nursing (CON) that were members of CUGH and that had SA programs. A survey was developed and sent to the directors of the identified study abroad programs and to SA directors at Brigham Young University and Westminster College. The survey determined if each CON measured outcomes, and identified the tools that were used to so do. Identified tools were evaluated against inclusion criteria, reviewed for validity, and appropriate tools were incorporated into a toolkit. The toolkit was reviewed by the UUCONGSA study abroad director and content experts for relevance, format and usability. The poster was accepted for presentation at the 2017 CUGH conference. The toolkit was sent to four survey respondents who had requested a copy and was provided to University of Utah CON for use with the global health grant.