THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM was named after U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, who introduced legislation in 1946 to improve relations, diplomacy, and intercultural competence between countries. The Fulbright Program is led by the U.S. Department of State in partnership with more than 160 countries to promote the international exchange of ideas and cultural understanding. A Fulbright grant is considered one of the most widely known and prestigious awards in the world. U.S. citizens including students, academics, professionals, scientists, and artists receive support to study, conduct research, teach, or take part in projects in other countries. The program also includes grants to foreign students and foreign visiting scholars and professionals for them to visit the U.S.
Within the Fulbright Specialist Program, more than 400 short term (2-6 week) projects designed by the host institutions are implemented annually within 24 eligible disciplines. The focus of the Specialist Program is on projects needing expert knowledge, assistance, and training, rather than conducting research. Through the program, experienced U.S. academics and established professionals share expertise, gain international experience, and develop collaborative relationships. Example projects are delivering seminars, trainings, or workshops; consultation on faculty or workforce development; and curriculum development or evaluation. To learn more about the Fulbright Specialist program and application process, visit fulbrightspecialist.worldlearning.org.
MONA members, Dr. Susan Hinck and Dr. Karen Moore each served as Fulbright Specialists in 2023, implementing projects collaboratively designed with host colleges in other parts of the world. Their stories are below.
Susan M. Hinck PhD APRN GCNS-BC
Dr. Hinck’s six-week Fulbright project was at the Maluti Adventist College of Nursing in the Kingdom of Lesotho, Africa. Her time in Lesotho was during their spring (October and November). The college requested a Fulbright Specialist to help them advance their diploma nursing and midwifery programs to baccalaureate level, thereby complying with the Lesotho Qualification Framework mandated by the Lesotho government. They were revising their curriculum from content-based (providing lectures) to competency-based education that prepares students to think through clinical situations and prepares them for lifelong learning. The faculty needed assistance to evaluate the content of their curriculum and identify possible gaps but did not have a framework to guide their evaluation. Dr. Hinck assisted them to employ the American Association of Colleges of Nursing The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and curriculum mapping tools. The college leadership also wanted to increase the number of faculty publications in peer-reviewed journals. Susan worked individually with faculty members to discuss their ideas and will remain available to them to review drafts of manuscripts and recommend journals.
Dr. Hinck visited rural and urban healthcare clinics and hospitals to learn from nurse leaders and healthcare providers, always accompanied by a male driver and at least two faculty, for safety, when leaving the gated college campus. Because there are few physicians in Lesotho, registered nurses provide nearly all primary care in community clinics working from protocols. All undergraduate nursing students learn emergency care, suturing, and midwifery.
“Personally, I learned three important things in Lesotho. First, strangers quickly became friends and made the unfamiliar setting comfortable. The people welcomed me, providing a guest house, prepared meals, and safe transportation in the communities. I willingly accepted their reality of a vegetarian diet, no television or air conditioning, and internet service only on days when the sun shines. Second, I learned that we have much more in common than there are differences. We all want to protect our families, neighbors, and communities and build a better future. However, this is more challenging when there are few resources and improvement comes slowly. And third, I learned that Lesotho Africa is breathtakingly beautiful with its mountains and waterfalls, vast planes, and many villages. I am grateful for this once-in-a lifetime opportunity to learn about the people and culture.”
Karen S. Moore, PhD, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-C, CGNC, FAANP, FAAN
Dr. Moore’s Fulbright experience grew out of collaboration with colleagues at Dublin City University (DCU) in Dublin, Ireland. At a previous university, Karen was the skills lab coordinator and design lead for a suite of high-fidelity simulation spaces. She is co-author of a book of case-based learning scenarios for adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners. Faculty at DCU were interested in the utilization of various types of simulation within their curriculum and wanted to increase their knowledge of how to incorporate it into their pedagogy. There was also interest in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and how that might be operationalized within Ireland. During her time in Ireland, she lived on campus and walked to her office at the School of Nursing. She regularly met with faculty teams about simulation and taught clinical skills in an advanced health assessment course for advanced practice nursing students. Meetings were also held with nursing administrators at the university, and the health ministry and regulatory body to discuss interest in the DNP and explore the potential for harmonization of the nurse practitioner role across borders. During the six weeks she was in Ireland, Karen spent her weekends exploring the country and visiting neighboring Northern Ireland. Whether sharing a conversation on the train to Galway, learning about the history of Ireland at a museum, or hearing first-hand accounts of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, the cultural sharing and relationship building continued throughout the Fulbright experience. Karen states “I met so many wonderful people in Ireland and had so many really great life-changing experiences. Some of the conversations with people I met on the train or while attending a hurling game were so enlightening and really provided context to the projects and to the healthcare system in the country. You cannot separate the people and the cultural exchange from the Fulbright projects. The relationships are the heart and soul of the concept.”
Although the countries of Lesotho and Ireland are very different, and the projects undertaken by Dr. Susan Hinck and Dr. Karen Moore were diverse, both concur that the experiences and collaborations were enriching and beneficial. Hopefully their examples will lead other Missouri nurses to explore the possibility of becoming a Fulbright Specialist.
THE AUTHORS
Dr. Hinck lives in Springfield, Missouri, and is an advanced practice gerontological clinical nurse specialist. She is the president of the International Home Care Nurses Organization and travels widely to study nursing and global health. In addition, she is on the team revising the American Nurses Association Home Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, that will include a worldview of nurses and nursing practice. Her background includes clinical practice, university teaching, quality assurance, and home health administration. Her published midrange theory on home-based professional nursing practice guides clinicians, educators, and managers to promote patient-centered care with the outcomes of greater patient self-confidence and self-sufficiency.
Dr. Karen Moore is a dual certified adult and family nurse practitioner who lives in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to her practice within the BJC Health System, she is a Professor in the graduate program at the Trudy Busch-Valentine School of Nursing at Saint Louis University. Her practice and research interests include global health, infectious disease, healthcare inequities, occupational and environmental health, low resourced communities, and health promotion. Dr. Moore is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Past chair of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty Global Health Special Interest Group, Past Chair of the AAN Global Nursing and Health Expert Panel, and Past Chair of the Student Subgroup of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network (NP/APNN). Currently she serves as the Coordinator of Global and Planetary Health at the St. Louis University School of Nursing, Secretary of the ICN NP/APNN Core Steering Group, Vice Chair of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board, member of the AAN Emerging Infectious Disease and Cultural Health Equity Expert Panels and is a 2023 ICN Global Nursing Leadership Institute scholar.
