The purpose of this paper is to describe the views of nursing students (baccalaureate) participating in four years TCN (Transatlantic Curriculum in Nursing) program by means of written and interview documents collected at the end of the study period. The idea of this TCN program was to develop a higher education in nursing in the participating countries. The educational institutions implementing this program were Semmelweis University in Hungary, Nazareth College in the United States and Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Participation in the program opened students possibility to gain a Dual Degree in Nursing (EU-USA). (A Transatlantic Dual Degree Program in Nursing 2007.) Every student in the TCN program has studied nursing in addition to their home country also in two other participant countries.

In the TCN program it was pointed out to the students the possibility to benefit from the strengths of each partner institute. Students had the possibility to study in Semmelweis University emergency nursing, in Nazareth College Transcultural Nursing and in Laurea health promotion and evidence based health promotion. (A Transatlantic Dual Degree Program in Nursing 2007.)

Semmelweis university exchange program concentrated on clinical practices.  Clinical practice students have the opportunity to develop their professional identity, knowledge base, and their ability to transfer their knowledge into practice (Baxter 2007).  As for Nazareth College, they concentrated on theoretical studies where the emphasis on communication and critical thinking in education in order to prepare students to be well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible and fair-minded.  (see Nazareth College – Department of Nursing Student Handbook 2011-2012, 2011; Profetto-McGrath et.al. 2003). In Laurea studying was in accordance with the Laurea modified learning model LbD (Learning by developing).  According to the model authenticity, partnership, experiencing, creativity and research orientation will be emphasized in education (Raij 2007). In education it was pointed out to students´ the possibility to put theory into practice and vice versa.

Objectives:

The aim of the research part of the project is to describe the views of nursing students (baccalaureate) participating in TCN program by means of written and interview documents collected at the end of their studies.

Research Questions:

The research questions were:

What have students learned by participating in the TCN program?

1)     What have students learned by participating in The TCN of health promotion?

2)     What have students learned by participating in The TCN of nursing?

3)     What have students learned by participating in The TCN of learning methods?

1)     How do students plan to put their experiences from the TCN program into practice in the nursing profession?

A Transatlantic Dual Degree Program in Nursing 2007 Baxter P. 2007. The CCARE model of clinical supervision: Bridging the theory–practice gap. Nurse Education in Practice (2007) 7, 103–111. Lamnek S. 2005. Qualitative Sozialforschung. Weinheim: Berliz Verlag. Nazareth College – Department of Nursing student Handbook 2011-2012. 2011. Nursing Department Verification of Receipt of Nursing Student Handbook I. Profetto-McGrath J, Hesketh KL, Lang S & Estabrooks, CA. A Study of Critical Thinking and Research Utilization Among Nurses. Western Journal of Nursing Research 2003, 25(3), 322-337. Raij K 2007. Learning by Developing. Laurea Publications A-58. Vantaa, Laurea University of Applied Sciences. A Transatlantic Dual Degree Program in Nursing. 2007. EU-US Atlantis Program – cooperation in higher education and training application form – Transatlantic degree consortium project. Submission: 31. May 2007.