Internationalization of Nursing Education at Believers Medical College and Hospital: A Partnership with Karlstad University, Sweden

Believers Church Medical College and Hospital (BCMCH), a premier healthcare institution in Thiruvalla, Kerala, India, has been providing affordable and quality healthcare to hundreds of thousands of patients. After having fine-tuned the provision of health care in developing societies, over the past decade, BCMCH has expanded its reach beyond provision to education, offering programs in medicine, nursing, and allied health sciences, as well as preventative healthcare and geriatric care.

As a natural progression, BCMCH sought to internationalize its education offerings, collaborating with like-minded institutions worldwide. A hospital, like the one in Thiruvalla, is currently being built in Rwanda.  Another promising partnership is with the Nursing Department at Karlstad University (KaU) in Sweden.

The partnership began with an exploratory visit by Dr Brian Unis from KaU, followed by a delegation comprising Dr Helene V Wadensjö and Dr Kaisa Bjerusater. During a counter visit by Dr Jacob Jesurun and Mini Sarah Thomas, the mutual benefits of the partnership were solidified.

Although the initial contact was to explore the concepts and practice of holistic and spiritual care that nurses provide, the realisation that more could be done together led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions in 2023. In the words of the director of the BCMCH, Dr Chandy, “We are committed to making this partnership a model for collaborative success and look forward to the impactful outcomes it will bring.”

Although the initial goal was for the nursing departments of the two institutions to work together, the MOU aims to enhance internationalization on both campuses and promote the concept and practice of holistic healthcare among staff and students. The collaboration focuses on:

1. Curriculum internationalization: Integrating holistic health concepts into the curriculum and developing a short course on holistic health for advanced nurse training.

2. Student exchange: Five groups of KaU nursing students have completed short-term internships at BCMCH with funding from the EUs Erasmus+ programme.

3. Staff exchange: Funding from the ERASMUS+ International Credit Mobility programme has been secured for nursing staff exchange over the next three years, with six BCMCH staff traveling to KaU and vice versa. The intention is to establish the groundwork for collaborative work in nursing education and training.

4. Collaborative research: Exploring various research topics, over and above nursing, led by Dr Sangeetha Jithin from BCMCH and Dr Carolina Jernbro from KaU.

5. Nursing Conference: A conference has been planned for the 30 April to be held at BCMCH coordinated by Mini Sarah Thomas, to be attended by faculty from both institutions. Various aspects of nursing will be presented and discussed, paving the way for further research on topics that are of mutual interest.

Currently, two KaU nursing students are undertaking an internship at BCMCH, funded by ERASMUS+, writing a mini thesis on holistic health as part of their degree program.

The internationalization of higher education is no longer a luxury but a necessity, preparing graduates to engage with and work in an increasingly internationalized world. The BCMCH-KaU partnership serves as a model for successful international collaboration, fostering global citizenship, and promoting holistic healthcare education.