Building Health Workforce Capacity & Global Competencies: An International Educational Collaboration – an Utforsk project

Project summary

Globally, there is a need to build and sustain a qualified, robust, and stable healthcare workforce which can meet societal needs for healthy behaviors and address chronic illnesses, communicable diseases and pandemics, and environmental health problems, resulting from climate changes. This need is threatened by a long-standing global shortage of healthcare workers, worsened by the demands caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, an estimated 65.1 million people globally worked in healthcare, although there is a projected shortage of about 15 million by 2030. This shortage is partly due to retirements, but mainly due to individuals leaving the workforce or changing to jobs outside of healthcare due to workplace stress. Both Norway and the United States face major, and worsening, challenges in recruiting healthcare professionals. While our academic programs offer courses relating to developing clinical skills, there is less emphasis on promoting a healthy workplace, nursing leadership, and global competencies. A goal for both partner universities is to prepare nurses and other health professionals to effectively lead and manage the workforce, promote population health, and strategize for current and future health needs. Our project focuses on “healthcare sustainability,” emphasizing human resource management. On the Norwegian side, this project aligns with recommendations from the “Health Personnel Commission” stating that the healthcare system must look abroad for inspiration on sustainable organization of healthcare systems. In the US, this project aligns with efforts to increase the nursing workforce. At both HVL and UNC, faculty are working to develop elective courses for undergraduate and graduate students focusing on sustainability in healthcare. International cooperation across borders is essential in addressing global societal challenges. Furthermore, global higher education plays a vital role in societal advancement, and fostering internationalization and collaboration is essential to enhance its quality. At both universities, there is a need to increase the participation of students and faculty in mobility stays; and this project addresses this need by expanding exchange opportunities. In addition to expanding study abroad opportunities, we will create avenues for internationalization through joint courses and COIL initiatives. Through international exposure and cooperation programs, students and faculty receive an enhanced education. This project will benefit participants, universities-at-large, and health care partners by fostering cultural competencies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global healthcare perspectives.