This month, Florence University of the Arts – The American University of Florence launches a new internship program for international nursing students, offering the opportunity to take clinical placements at Careggi University Hospital.
International students will be able to enhance their academic experience with professional practice, and learn on the job from nurses at the hospital, who will guide and mentor them. The project also serves to strengthen ties between the local community and a diverse group of international students, who will learn how different hospital systems work and improve cultural competence through patient care and relationships with colleagues.
One of the first of its kind in Italy, the project manages to cooperate with the rigid requirements of academic programs in nursing, and open new doors for both the students and the team of mentoring nurses. Dr Claudia Bamonte, tutor and instructor of the program, adds, “We feel that the role of the nurse has truly been valued. Often, clinical nurses do not venture into teaching, but this project stimulates us and highlights our skills as mentors and professionals.”
The students will mainly focus on geriatrics and will prepare students for their future careers with real-world applications of their academic learning. The effort to bring students into a hospital environment was in collaboration with Fairfield University, which initially brought international students to Florence for clinical internships.
