Anju got new perspectives on her profession

The project

I participated in an international teaching module at which we cooperated with nursing students from Georgian College in Canada. We formed groups of two Danish students and two Canadian students with the aim of getting to know each others healthcare systems - both from an academic perspective and in practice.

We met online a number of times and of course spent time getting to know each other and share our motivations for participating. As the module took place during corona, we also spent time talking about how the pandemic has affected our education and lives as such. In Canada, they still use face masks and have a lot of online teaching.

The way teaching is carried out has also been a central subject for the talks in my group. In Canada, they focus a lot on learning the books by heart from cover to cover and have a lot of written assignments. I am thankful that we have internships and practical assignments in Denmark. I think that that sharpens your skills and gives the education higher quality.

What did you learn?

We were able to shine a light on some of the cultural differences between the Danish and Canadian healthcare systems. In Denmark, we for example use untrained assistants, but in Canada, only trained nurses perform patient care. In addition, I learned to appreciate the teaching methods used at VIA and in Denmark and I got to practice my English.

Your advice for others

If you have the time, participating in an international project is great, because you get to know your profession in a brand new way and from a different angle. You get to share your experiences and learn from others, while testing some prejudices towards other nationalities.