Finnish students' perceptions of a visiting professor.

Although nurse educators enthusiastically endorse visiting professors, cross-school collaboration, cross-cultural teaching, and international faculty exchange programs, no previous studies have documented students' perceptions of visiting faculty. An open-ended questionnaire was used to identify Finnish students' perceptions of a visiting Fulbright professor and how faculty and students can better prepare for educational exchanges. Four themes emerged from the content analysis of responses to the questionnaire: course content, teaching methods, the role of the teacher, and expectations and developmental challenges.

A collaborative model: twenty healthcare agencies and academic institutions share resources to educate preceptors.

The Boston Collaborative Learning Group (BCLG), a 20-member consortium of healthcare agencies and academic institutions, originated in 1996 in response to a demand for innovative cost-effective measures. Directors of Staff Development and academicians collaborate and share resources in planning preceptor education programs. Over 750 Boston area nurses have attended 1 of 10 programs offered.