Reflections on partnership and co-creation in an EU project: GNurseSIM Intercultural Simulation for Caring for Elderly Patients

Abstract

This reflective case study uses the Driscoll (2007) model to explore nursing lecturers and students’ experience of co-creating artefacts for Intercultural Care for Elderly Patients video simulation.

What?  Globally, the number of people aged over 75 is expected to more than double by 2050, often with complex and comorbid health needs.  It is likely diverse elderly patients will be cared for by professionals with equally diverse values and cultures.  To date, no simulation resources appeared to have a primary focus on intercultural care for older people.  An EU funded project attempted to address this need (7 partners, across 5 countries). The project also offered a co-creation opportunity with pre-registration nursing students. 

So what?   This UK case study emerged from student reflection and learning from the co-creation approach; devising, acting, reviewing and interrogating the scenarios.   Five scenarios within a larger complement were developed using authentic patient examples aligned to intercultural elderly care benchmarks.  Reflective narratives from students and lecturers on this process reveal an awareness of the breadth of culture expression, fallibility of assumptions, self-development and being a ‘professional’ that translate into practice.

Now what?:  The experience of partnership in building these simulation videos points to a deep and transformative learning experience through student co-creation.  This approach offers the opportunity to enhance cultural awareness and knowledge for students and lecturers.