by – John Nation MSN, RN

As a participant in this year’s Globalizing Curriculum Faculty Learning Community, I have had the opportunity to attend fascinating lectures on a wide range of subjects and collaborate with colleagues at ACC on how best to incorporate global perspectives into our courses. As a nursing instructor, a great deal of my teaching focuses on the nursing management of diseases and health promotion in our community and in the United States. While participating in the Globalizing Curriculum Faculty Learning Community, I’ve been able to spend more time considering global issues in health care and nursing. Additionally, the monthly lectures by University of Texas at Austin professors about major global issues have been fascinating and thought-provoking.

As a nurse educator, I have been considering how to teach students about the global implications of health policy related to the content in my courses. Specifically, I have been examining how the cost of relatively new medications to treat hepatitis C impacts public health and nursing care worldwide. As part of my work with the Globalizing Curriculum Faculty Learning Community, I used World Health Organization data to map global hepatitis C medication prices by country. I then used this presentation as a starting point to discuss the implications of medication expense on health promotion, nursing practice, and disease prevention. The expense of these medications is a significant barrier in efforts worldwide to treat hepatitis C, and it has major impacts on public health and health care. I’ve come to believe that it is critical to incorporate a global perspective when teaching about this controversial issue.

It has been a very valuable experience to be able to participate in the Globalizing Curriculum Faculty Learning Community, and I have learned a great deal from my colleagues and guest lecturers. I highly recommend this learning community to any interested faculty.