A Canada-Bangladesh partnership for nurse education: case study

Aim: To describe the lessons learned from a partnership in nurse education between a Bangladesh university and a group of Canadian volunteers. Background: In the host country, nursing enjoys low status and pay, which adversely affect professional standards. Method: The paper describes implementation details of training a core of nurses to international standards, using limited resources. The first cohort received their Bachelor of Nursing degrees in 2009. Outcomes: The Bangladeshi partners benefit from access to up-to-date curriculum materials, current clinical expertise, and interaction with visiting faculty and students. The Canadian nursing instructors enjoy professional development opportunities; visiting Canadian students gain exposure to a practice setting in a low-income country. Lessons learned: These include the importance of (1) integrating nurse training with a general university able to provide core courses (e.g. English as second language, computer training), (2) countering the low status of nursing and inculcating a caring attitude among students, and (3) instilling critical thinking as opposed to rote learning. Next, the following were identified: mechanisms to support networking in the local health system, sharing of resources (e.g. electronic course material adapted to host country context), and assuring programme quality. Implications for practice: The paper will be of interest to those concerned with nurse education and human resource development in less developed countries.