Search

Objective: To determine impact of undertaking an international educational program during a nurse's or midwife's pre-registration program on subsequent practice, focusing on how nurses and midwives were transformed personally through participation in such programs. Background: Participation in international educational programs has been reported to enhance nursing and midwifery students' personal and professional development, however long-term impacts remain unclear. This paper presents findings drawn from a larger grounded theory study. Study design and Methods: Charmaz's grounded theory methodology was used to elicit experiences from 13 general nurses, two mental health nurses, three midwives and four dual qualified nurse/midwives across eight different countries. Data analysis led to the creation of three categories, with this paper reporting on the category of Developing as a Person. Findings: Participation in international educational programs can be transformative for nurses and midwives with long-lasting impacts, contributing positively to their personal growth and development. Discussion: The study findings underscore significant long-term impacts of international educational programs for nurses and midwives. These outcomes highlight the importance of incorporating international experiences into healthcare education. Conclusion: By providing opportunities for healthcare professionals to engage with diverse settings and populations, organisations and educational institutions can foster the development of well-rounded and globally competent practitioners. Implications for research, policy, and practice: The study's findings hold significant implications for research, policy, and practice in healthcare education. To deepen our understandings, additional longitudinal research across diverse countries is warranted. Policymakers have an opportunity to acknowledge the positive impact of these programs on the personal growth and development of nurses and midwives, potentially leading to the integration of global competency requirements into licensure programs. In order to provide comprehensive education, educational institutions should consider the inclusion of study abroad opportunities, cultural exchanges, and global clinical placements within nursing and midwifery curricula. What is already known about the topic? • International educational programs are widely used as a way of developing nursing and midwifery students' cultural understandings. • Previous studies have reported on short-term impacts of international educational programs. What this paper adds: • Long-term impacts of participation in an international educational program on nurses and midwives are described. • Personal development and subsequent transformations occur for nurses and midwives as a result of participation in international educational programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research identifies unique challenges for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer at or before 45 years of age. This paper explores the experiences of younger women from diverse cultural backgrounds with breast cancer to see if there are differing healthcare provision needs across cultures. Sandelowski and Barroso's framework for undertaking a meta-synthesis is used in this paper. Initial searches in academic databases returned 42 papers of interest. Re-reading the papers in the context of the research question identified 12 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Five key themes were identified in these 12 studies. The overarching finding is that, irrespective of cultural background, the confrontation with breast cancer transforms the younger woman's life. It seems that healthcare provision needs do not differ substantially across cultures. Health professionals should address the unique psychosocial effects of cancer in the context of the lifestage of the woman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced traveler information systems (ATISs) are continuously becoming key intelligent transportation system for disseminating valuable traveler information such as traffic, incident, and transit information. Developed countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, U.K., Australia, and Germany have adopted ATIS expeditiously in comparison to developing countries that face considerable financial and framework constraints. Moreover, local traffic, roadway, signalization, demographic, topological, and social conditions in developing countries are quite different from those in developed countries. In this paper, a comprehensive framework comprising of system architecture, development methodology, and salient features of a developed ATIS for metropolitan cities in developing countries has been discussed. Development of proposed system is based on integration of two well-known information technologies, viz., geographic information systems and World Wide Web. Combination of these technologies can be used to develop an integrated ATIS that targets different types of travelers such as private vehicle owners, transit users, and casual outside visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new evidence on availability, use, and prices of biopharmaceuticals in five major European Union (EU) markets, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Mexico, relative to the United States. Our data set from IMS Health includes all product sales in 2005. Per capita spending on biopharmaceuticals was at least twice as high in the United States as in the other countries. This difference reflects primarily greater availability and use of new, relatively high-price molecules and formulations. Prices for identical formulations are not higher on average in the United States. The broader price indexes, which do not control formulation, are also not higher in the United States, after adjusting for income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]