PLANNING PROCESS

Minutes - FIPSE / EU Meeting

Muenster, Germany

December 8-10, 2001

The meeting was called to order on December 8, at 10:00.

Members Present: Elka Donath, Andreas Buescher, (Witten Herdecke);  Paivi Astedt-Kurki, Eija Paavilainen, (Tampere)'  Marie-Luise Friedemann, Edward Freeman, (Florida International);  Elaine Wendt, Kathleen Anderson, (Wisconsin at Eau Claire); Rita Kerr (Capital).

A Tribute to Audrey Bryant

The meeting started with a memorial service to Audrey Bryant who died on November 20, 2001.  We cannot exaggerate the extent of her contribution to this program and how much she touched each of our lives.  We will miss her.

The program also owes much thanks and gratitude to Elaine Wendt, Kathleen Anderson, and Karen Sondheim for their willingness to take on the project after Audrey's death.  It has been a pleasure to have them join the effort.

Numbers of Students in the Program

Course Development, Implementation, and Evaluation

Participants spent the rest of the day discussing the web courses they developed and taught, including the highlights of each course and number of students enrolled.  A summary of each course follows:

Cultural Immersion: Marie-Luise Friedemann and Ed Freeman - August, 2001

Family Theory and Intervention: Marie-Luise Friedemann - September-December, 2001

Family Theory and Intervention:  Paivi Astedt-Kurki & Eija - November 2001-February 2002

The course had students from Finland, Germany and Italy.  Modules included:

1.      Definitions of family nursing

2.      Family Health

3.      Family Changes

4.      Family as Client

Cultures, Communities, and Health Care:  Rita Kerr - September-December, 2001

Four students registered for the course: two from Capital University and two from Finland who were studying at Florida International University.  The course consisted of four modules and was delivered over the WEB using Blackboard.  Once students learned how to enter the course, they appeared to have little trouble using it.  For each module students had readings, vocabulary, and assignments.  The course consisted of four modules:

Module I: Foundational Concepts of Culturally Congruent Health Care and Nursing (For students who have not had an undergraduate course on nursing and culture).  None of the students were required to do this module.

Module II: Selected Models of Cultural Competence.  Students read several theories about nursing intervention with cultures other than their own.  They chose two theories to compare and contrast in writing and also developed a cultural assessment tool based on the culture with which they were working and the kind of health care they gave.  For example, one student developed a cultural assessment tool for Hispanic maternity patients.  Another student developed a cultural assessment tool for patients seen at an Asian clinic.

Module III: Global Perspectives of Public Health Issues.   Students had to compare population demographics for their host or host country and a developing country of their choice.  They also had to complete a case study showing how HIV/AIDS would be treated in either their home or host country and a developing country.  Students used WEB as well as other sources for their data collections.

Module IV: Historical and Cultural Values in Care-Some Thoughts Visiting Ancient Rome.  Students selected one of four books and used it as a framework for writing about an aspect of culture.  For example, one student read a book about the cultural view of women's bodies over time and wrote a paper about the treatment of women in Germany during the Renaissance.  Germany is the country where she hopes to study.

Historical and Cultural Values in Care Visiting Ancient Rome:  Julita Sansoni - March-May 2002.  (Information sent by Julita Sansoni) 

This course will  be ready for viewing on the WEB at the end of January, 2002.  The course will be taught in English and Italian from March 4 through May, 2002.  It will consist of five modules:

1.      Nursing and art; our images across time

2.      Attitudes toward the female body toward history

3.      Women in care models and historical women in Rome

4.      The Western "Body and Mind" approach

5.      Monastic order and hospitals

 Interdisciplinary Health Care Across Cultures:  Andreas Buescher, Elaine Wendt and Kathy Anderson - October-December, 2001.  This course was taught jointly by Witten-Herdecke and University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire.  The modules included;

1.      Models of interdisciplinary health care across cultures.

2.      Historical and cultural considerations impacting professional relationships.

3.      Communication issues across cultures

4.      Actualizing interdisciplinary care across cultures

Seminar-Practicum:  Rita Kerr

One student began this course before December and is working in a community agency where she has access to the Hispanic Population.  She will have a minimum of 75 hours of clinical experience.  She will do cultural and family assessments and work with the staff to propose a modification in agency practice based on what she has learned during the curriculum.

The meeting was adjourned at 15:15 and reconvened on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 12:00.

Review of Course Calendar

The group reviewed the course calendar and discussed revisions.  Each course is offered two times each academic year.  The group decided on two major changes:

Tampere will offer Family Theory and Intervention from September to December and  Florida International from January to April.

Capital and Witten-Herdecke will offer cultural Immersion in the fall in the fall and by Florida International in the spring.

Other course offerings remain the same. Cultures, Communities, and Health Care will be offered in the fall by Capital.  Historical and Cultural Values in Care Visiting Ancient Rome will be offered by University of Rome "la spienza" from March to May.  There will be both English and Italian versions on the WEB. Wisconsin at Eau Claire and Witten Herdecke will offer interdisciplinary Health Care across Cultures from October to December and March to May.

Each school will offer Seminar-Practicum as their students complete the other courses.  The schedule is as follows.

*Month each course begins

Clinical Experiences

Students from Finland at FIU observed at a homeless shelter in Miami.  They were paired with an FIU student.  The experience was very new to them, and they adjusted.

Students at Capital University in the program work at local volunteer minority clinics.  One student works at a Hispanic Clinic, one at an Asian clinic, and two with the Somali population.  When students from across the Atlantic come to Capital, they will be paired with CU students to observe.

Evaluation and Research

The group worked on an evaluation plan for each course.  Subsequently, Dr. Friedemann from FIU wrote a draft of the plan and sent it out to group members for feedback.  If adopted the tool would be distributed to students at the end of each course.  With consistent data, finding could be analyzed as part of a research project on the outcomes of the new program.

Group members decided that the evaluation process should be shared with the community using whatever ways are available.

Advocacy for students and work load

E.U. partners expressed concern about workload for students.  Each partner committed to being an advocate for students, and to involve them not only in the program but also in other classes and activities going on at each university.

Post-grant Program Continuation

All U.S. and E.U. universities will have their emblems on the program certificate.  Copies of each university emblem should be sent to Dr. Friedemann at FIU.  FIU and Wisconsin  at Eau Claire are in the process of going through formal certification of the program.  The program is certified at Capital and is part of the Masters of Science in Nursing program.

Dr. Friedemann wants the program to expand to include other health disciplines as a way of continuing it beyond the life of the grant.  The nurse Anesthesiology program at FIU has already expressed interest in the Culture Course.  Faculty at each school should start to investigate the interest of colleagues outside of nursing in this curriculum.  This should be the focus of future meetings.

Financial Issues

The meeting was adjourned at 17:00 so that the U.S. and E.U. members could meet separately about money issues.  The two new faculty from University of Wisconsin were oriented to money use and distribution.

The consortium convened on Monday at 14.15.

Preparing an article on teaching strategies

The meeting was devoted to collecting information for an article on teaching strategies.  Each group member spoke about common strategies used in their culture.  A tape recorder was used to collect information.  Dr. Freeman from FIU offered to have the information transcribed and then returned to group members for clarification and additions. It is hoped this article can be published in several journals in each participant's language.

Future Plans

It is hoped the consortia will meet in the US during late spring or early summer. U.S. partners will discuss a time frame and invite E.U. partners.  It is hoped visitors can come to both Capital and Eau Claire.  Foci of the meeting will be on-going monitoring of the program, sustaining the program post-grant, and expanding the program to other disciplines.

Program Evaluation

The program will begin to be evaluated by our consultant Dr. Karl Markgraf from University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire.  Elaine Wendt and Rita Kerr will work closely with Dr. Markgraph.

The meeting was adjourned at 17:00.

Rita Butchko Kerr

Capital University