Impact of COIL: Learning From Student Nurses in Norway Who Collaborated With U.S. Students.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the experience of Norwegian nursing students with internationalization through participation in a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) course. Educators in Norway and the United States collaborated to incorporate internationalization and population health concepts into virtual courses during the pandemic. Literature gaps exist in post-implementation assessment data that ascertain internationalization through the COIL experience. This was a qualitative study with a descriptive design. Data were collected from focus group interviews and analyzed conventional content-analysis approaches. Fifteen Norwegian undergraduate nursing students who participated in the COIL opportunity completed focus group interviews. The themes identified included, "virtual conversation builds collaborations and enhances learning," and "this opened my eyes." Norwegian students acknowledged they had learned transferable lessons from their global partners that could be applied to patient care of the marginalized population in Norway.