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The University of Michigan School of Nursing hosted nursing and midwifery executives from Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago this week for simulation training, contributing to a long-standing effort aimed at enhancing Caribbean health care education and leadership.
Initiated by the school’s Office of Global Affairs in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, the “Train the Trainer” initiative represented another significant achievement for U-M’s PAHO/WHO Collaborative Center, which has maintained a 27-year dedication to nursing education within the Caribbean region.
Individuals taking part in the program from July 27 to Aug. 1 received practical training in clinical simulation techniques, analytical reasoning, communication, and skill evaluation. The team responsible for creating and executing the program comprised 15 members, including educators, graduate students, and simulation lab specialists.
By the end of the program, all six attendees will possess the expertise and strategies necessary to return to their respective countries, educate other instructors, and implement access to high-quality, simulation-oriented nursing education across the Caribbean.
“We have plans to improve simulation in educational settings, so I want to be prepared to return and instruct others,” stated Cynthia Pitter, senior lecturer and head of the School of Nursing at the University of the West Indies Mona in Jamaica.
“Simulation is the future. We aim to ensure that our students are situated in a safe environment and can practice prior to working with actual patients,” remarked Natalie Watson, instructor at Barbados Community College.
Faculty and organizers highlighted the extensive influence of this collaboration, not solely within the Caribbean but also in the worldwide exchange of progressive teaching methodologies.
“One of my aspirations is that we all absorb and share how—through proficient faculty—it is not solely the technology that is important but how we utilize it,” expressed Megan Eagle, clinical assistant professor of nursing at U-M.
“There is much we can achieve with less technology than we believe, provided we employ it thoughtfully and adeptly.”
This rigorous training forms part of U-M’s broader objective to promote global leadership in nursing and midwifery by encouraging knowledge sharing, cultural comprehension, and continuous professional development.
These international programs demonstrate the university’s commitment to global engagement, particularly in aiding low- and middle-income areas, fostering nursing leadership, and enhancing educational capacity. These initiatives are closely aligned with U-M’s mission as a national authority in global education and can be observed in the school’s ongoing collaborations and programs, according to Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini, associate dean for global affairs and co-director of the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center at the U-M School of Nursing.
Building on the momentum from this summer’s Global Simulation Training for Caribbean Nursing Leaders, the School of Nursing will host another group of international nurses from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Mexico for the Latin American Nurse Practitioner Development Program from Aug. 11-15.
This intensive week-long initiative will offer participants direct exposure to nurse practitioner education, practice, and regulation in the United States.
With Latin American countries actively exploring the incorporation of the nurse practitioner role, the program will provide essential insights, including chances to observe advanced practice nurses in both community and hospital environments, as well as engage in discussions with U-M faculty, students, and national health care leaders.
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