Transforming Academic Internationalization in Nursing Education in Ghana

Abstract

The development of formal nursing education in Ghana has been influenced by international organizations since its beginning in the mid-1940s. Some of the 218 accredited nursing institutions in Ghana engage in academic internationalization through several international activities. Today, the focus of nursing education and health care delivery worldwide appears to be shifting towards globalization owing to the emerging market economies and political alliances that lean towards neoliberal perspectives. In this paper, the aspects of internationalization and globalization of Ghanaian nursing education that need to be retained and those aspects that require transformation are discussed. International student exchange programs with a Western Canadian university and the introduction of French and sign languages into nursing programs were identified as internationalization efforts in Ghanaian nursing education that should be promoted. The need for a policy review regarding a Ghanaian university’s international activities with the Canadian university is proposed to ensure equal benefits for students from the collaborating schools. This paper calls for a revision in the Ghanaian university nursing curriculum to integrate courses on global and immigrant health, interdisciplinary education, and team-centric leadership preparation to enhance undergraduate nurses with global working skills.