Balancing Identity and Diversity in Faith-Based Nursing Education: A Case Study from Northern Europe

Abstract

The role of faith-based nursing education is contested in today's Northern European societies, which are often described as postmodern, pluralist, or secular. Although faith-based institutions played pioneering roles in the early development of nursing education, many today downplay their religious roots and have transformed themselves into modern humanistic institutions. This article is based on a case study of three faith-based social welfare education institutions offering nursing programs. They are located in three different Northern European countries: Finland, The Netherlands, and Norway. This study investigates how the faith bases of these three institutions are recognized and understood by their students, teachers, and leaders. The study investigates the challenges these institutions face in their struggle to maintain their identity in times of diversity and pluralism. Data were collected by focus group interviews and individual interviews with leaders, teachers, and students. The analysis of the three case colleges from Northern Europe shows that the colleges, although different in foundation and strategies, face similar problems and challenges in their struggle to realize their mission in today's society. One main challenge is to maintain a Christian identity and at the same time deal with diversity both internal and external to the institution. The article suggests that diversity and heterogeneous positions can prove to be resources in both institutional and individual identity development.