Interdisciplinary, Innovative, and International: Nursing and Engineering Technology Students Creating New Patient Technology.

ABSTRACT: This article describes an innovative interdisciplinary project that partnered nursing and engineering technology students. The students constructed patient transfer and mobility technology that addressed crucial operational, safety, and usability metrics. The final constructed prototype was presented to an international audience during a two-week study abroad. The project was designed to explore the development of effective interdisciplinary teamwork, recognition of discipline-specific expertise, and a greater understanding of the global health care environment. Qualitative content analysis design was used to determine the impact on leadership development, effective team synergy, and the global health care experience.

Developing a sense of community among nursing students.

For beginning students, becoming a member of the nursing profession starts with experiences in nursing school. Better understanding of the experiences that contribute to sense of community for students can guide faculty efforts and curricular decisions. Using the sense of community model as a framework, the authors assessed the influence of a freshman-level class and other leadership and student organization experiences on the students' perceptions of the school of nursing as community. The authors discuss the study and its outcomes.