Is It Worth It? Measuring the Long-Term Effects of an International Experience for Nursing Students in Ecuador

In 1999, a community college in Florida initiated a study abroad program that included a transcultural nursing Web-based course and a 2-week clinical component in Ecuador. The investigator collected data from 36 participants using Zorn's International Education Survey to measure 4 dimensions of impact of the international experience. Results revealed that impact on the professional role dimension was most significant, followed by the international perspective dimension, the personal development dimension, and the intellectual development dimension. Conclusions were that nursing international experiences do influence nurses' future professional and personal development.