A Global Health Immersion Program for Nursing and Public Health Students

Background: The University of San Francisco, California (USFCA) and the Lesotho-Boston Health Alliance (LeBoHA) collaborated in designing and implementing an intensive, interprofessional global health immersion program for nursing and public health students from the United States. The program focused on health systems strengthening in Lesotho. This article reports on the curriculum development process, learning outcomes, and lessons learned from implementing the program. Methods: USFCA and LeBoHA began collaborating in March 2023. The partners codeveloped curriculum with the goal of introducing US students to global health systems challenges and ways to address them in a resource-constrained setting. The program sought to facilitate interprofessional collaboration between undergraduate nursing and graduate public health students, promote cross-cultural awareness and humility, and foster global perspectives and relationships to create a healthier and more humane world. The activity prioritized mutual respect in how the partner institutions worked together. Results: Three nursing and five public health students participated in the program held in January 2024 in Hlotse, Leribe District, Lesotho. The program included classroom learning sessions, health facility site visits, and extracurricular activities. Evaluation data suggested that students achieved course objectives and appreciated the active, experiential learning format. Lessons learned include planning for additional field visits and expanding the experience, possibly through Sesotho language instruction and interaction between students and LeBoHA faculty/staff before arrival and after the program ends. Conclusion: Short-term global health immersions can help to prepare nursing and public health students for careers in global health or working with underserved communities in the United States and strengthen interprofessionalism. Immersion programs should be developed in partnership and provide reciprocal benefits to the institutions involved.