Other Titles
Beyond Borders: Sustainable Development Goals as a Nursing Education Framework for Teaching and Collaborative Partnership [Title Slide]
Abstract
Introduction: Nurse educators prepare graduates as effective and compassionate clinicians. Global conditions demand sustainable health solutions centered within cultural contexts. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that intersect with health are a vital framework for education. The impacts of Covid on learning and infrastructure losses have long term consequences on quality education, and loss of human capital (UN, 2024; ICN 2023).
The SDGs and social determinants of health framed educational project goals between two schools in different countries: (1) to engage students and faculty in collaborative learning experiences, and (2) to collectively explore social determinants of health and care delivery that impact the community. Common values in school mission statements grounded learning.
Implementation: Students and faculty acquired insights and rich learning experiences within the Bwindi Uganda hospital and community through:
●Participation in morning prayer with the healthcare team
●Student pairings for patient care guided by Bwindi nursing staff or faculty
●Rotations in patient care services—adults, pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, and family planning clinic
●Attendance at physician-led rounds of patients admitted with preventable diseases--malaria, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child conditions
●Participation in community outreach in HIV prevention, testing, and counseling at a local parish
●Home health visits to inquire about health concerns, and to promote health teaching
●Tracing hospital water sources in the environment and observing water quality testing with a sanitation engineer highlighting access to clean water
A live demonstration garden growing local sustainable foods taught patients, families, and students about nutrition. As participant-observers in hospital wide planning students gained insights into proactive approaches to real or potential issues.
Evaluation: Faculty evaluated students in their respective programs. A project limitation was inattention to co-evaluation of long-term student learning outcomes. Alumni follow-up is needed for future projects.
Implications: Implications focus on SDG integration in nursing curriculum. Lived experiences of students in real time and place in cultural and healthcare contexts are an invaluable learning tool. Partnership plans are ongoing and include cloud based video communication technology for new educational projects.
Notes
References:
1. Adhikari, R. & Smith, P. (2022). Decolonising professional nursing education and practice: A global initiative, requiring local action [Editorial]. Nursing Education in Practice, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2022.103535
2. Buchan, J. & Catton, H. (2023). Recover to rebuild: Investing in the nursing workforce for health system effectiveness. International Council of Nurses. https://www.icn.ch/sites/default/files/2023-07/ICN_Recover-to-Rebuild_report_EN.pdf
3. Keating, S.A., Berland, A., Capone, K., & Chickering, M.J. (2021). Global nursing education: International resources meet the NLN core competencies for nurse educators. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol26No01Man08
4. Rosario, A.A., Gau, A., Munsterman, E., & Ancheta, A.J. (2024). Decolonizing nursing for health equity: A scoping review. Nursing Outlook, 72(5), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102230
5. United Nations (2024). The sustainable development goals report 2024. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2024/
6. Yoder, C.M., Soule, I., Nguyen, & Saluta, I. (2022). Ethical global health in nursing education: An integrative review. Nurse Education in Practice, 58, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103263
Sigma Membership
Gamma Alpha, Rho Alpha
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Academic-clinical Partnership, Curriculum Development, Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs
Recommended Citation
Catolico, Olivia; Anyango, Jane; and Boyle, Andrea, "Beyond Borders: Sustainable Development Goals as a Nursing Education Framework" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 152.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/152
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Beyond Borders: Sustainable Development Goals as a Nursing Education Framework
Seattle, Washington, USA
Introduction: Nurse educators prepare graduates as effective and compassionate clinicians. Global conditions demand sustainable health solutions centered within cultural contexts. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that intersect with health are a vital framework for education. The impacts of Covid on learning and infrastructure losses have long term consequences on quality education, and loss of human capital (UN, 2024; ICN 2023).
The SDGs and social determinants of health framed educational project goals between two schools in different countries: (1) to engage students and faculty in collaborative learning experiences, and (2) to collectively explore social determinants of health and care delivery that impact the community. Common values in school mission statements grounded learning.
Implementation: Students and faculty acquired insights and rich learning experiences within the Bwindi Uganda hospital and community through:
●Participation in morning prayer with the healthcare team
●Student pairings for patient care guided by Bwindi nursing staff or faculty
●Rotations in patient care services—adults, pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, and family planning clinic
●Attendance at physician-led rounds of patients admitted with preventable diseases--malaria, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child conditions
●Participation in community outreach in HIV prevention, testing, and counseling at a local parish
●Home health visits to inquire about health concerns, and to promote health teaching
●Tracing hospital water sources in the environment and observing water quality testing with a sanitation engineer highlighting access to clean water
A live demonstration garden growing local sustainable foods taught patients, families, and students about nutrition. As participant-observers in hospital wide planning students gained insights into proactive approaches to real or potential issues.
Evaluation: Faculty evaluated students in their respective programs. A project limitation was inattention to co-evaluation of long-term student learning outcomes. Alumni follow-up is needed for future projects.
Implications: Implications focus on SDG integration in nursing curriculum. Lived experiences of students in real time and place in cultural and healthcare contexts are an invaluable learning tool. Partnership plans are ongoing and include cloud based video communication technology for new educational projects.
Description
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an intersecting and compelling framework for global nursing curricula. An educational collaboration between two schools of nursing in Uganda and California effectively demonstrate a rich model for teaching and learning.