DEVELOPING A TRANSCULTURAL NURSING LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IN CHINA

Globalization has been the hallmark of the 21st century. This article focuses on developing the Transcultural Nursing Leadership Institute (TCNLI) in China. This project built a leadership program in Wenzhou, China, empowering and supporting nurses to solve problems in their own practices with evidence-based approaches and local resources using the Dreyfus International Health Foundation's method Problem Solving for Better Health (R) (PSBH). The partnership began when I was a Visiting Professor in Wenzhou, China and established collegial relationships with the Dean of the School of Nursing and the Chief Nursing Officers of the affiliated hospitals. In contrast to previous visiting scholars who went to China to lecture on health issues, I sought to develop a sustainable program and make a lasting contribution to the nursing practice in Wenzhou. The PSBH model was the method for what became the TCNLI. The TCNLI has taught over 200 nursing leaders to develop and implement major projects and connected them to the global nursing community by facilitating joint research, publications, and education. The journeys "across the bridge" from New York to Wenzhou have taken nursing and healthcare leaders from the United States to China and reciprocally welcomed leaders from Wenzhou to the United States for professional experiences. Outcomes of our partnership include more than 200 completed change projects. International partnerships within the global healthcare community provide a vehicle to navigate the complexities of transcultural differences and ultimately a way to bridge the gap and improve global healthcare.