This innovative and timely 16-credit online certificate program is designed to prepare primary care providers and other healthcare professionals, who currently work or plan to work in healthcare or health-related fields to improve culturally responsive healthcare provision, and respond to global healthcare needs and interventions. To our knowledge, there is no other program in the United States that offers this kind of comprehensive graduate certificate to prepare healthcare personnel to meet the global health challenges of the 21st Century. This certificate program is a part-time, one year plan of study. Course content is on-line, with 2-day visits to ASU Downtown Campus and a summer Capstone immersion. Two of the five weeks of the summer immersion will take place in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
program overview
This 16-credit online distance education and immersion program will target nurses, prepare primary care providers and other health professionals in Arizona and throughout the nation. Students in the graduate certificate program in International Health for Health Professionals need to understand a variety of global health threats, including human disasters in developed and developing countries that their patients may encounter. Students will be receiving a comprehensive educational experience in the provision of holistic, culturally responsive care to patients that they see in clinic practice in the United States, as well as volunteer experience for any programs outside of the United States.
Students will have the opportunity to interact with patients from diverse backgrounds, and learn about trans-cultural communication, spread of infectious diseases, the threat of bioterrorism, economic and political issues and other issues that pose substantial challenges to international healthcare delivery.
The implementation of a technical agreement between the ASU College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to disseminate evidence-based practices (EBP) to the healthcare workforce throughout the Pan Americas underscores the need to provide training to healthcare professionals in Arizona, as well as across the United States.
learning outcomes
By the completion of this graduate certificate program, students will be able to:
- Utilize basic epidemiological methods to examine international aggregate and population health statistics.
- Compare and contrast international health systems and associated issues that impel or constrain health care delivery.
- Articulate the similarities and differences in training and credentialing of healthcare providers in developed and developing international settings with implications for evidence-based practice.
- Demonstrate knowledge regarding international research, including human subject’s protections, qualitative, quantitative, and clinical trials studies.
- Have a working knowledge of culture-bound health syndromes based on the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition).
- Implement culturally sensitive evidence-based interventions for groups for various international backgrounds.
- Exhibit the ability to integrate didactic and experiential learning into clinical practice utilizing written and oral language skills, medical terminology, and cultural values for the target country.
methods and measures for evaluation
Each certificate course has an individual final project based upon course competencies. These projects are all designed to be the foundation for the capstone final project that will demonstrate an integration of program competencies. Periodic face-to-face, online web/web camera, or telephone discussions with capstone mentors/faculty, ASU College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation program faculty and students will occur throughout the capstone semester.
Individual course and capstone pre-approved projects will be presented to classmates and faculty via electronic submission and web/pod casting. Student interim work status reports, selected research topical papers and presentations shall be submitted electronically via Blackboard. Mandatory weekly online discussion forums in all courses are graded. PowerPoint, reading writing and other relevant assignments will be given via Blackboard in core courses. Grading rubrics for individual projects, interim reports, and weekly discussion forums will be posted in Blackboard.
policies and procedures for tracking students to certificate completion
Students will submit a program of study as they enter the certificate program. Student progression throughout their approved program of study will be monitored by the co-directors and program faculty.
