Developing cross-cultural healthcare workers: content, process and mentoring

Abstract

Career service in cross-cultural healthcare mission work is the ambition of many people around the world. However, premature termination of this expected long-term service mitigates against achieving the goals of the individual and the organization. The lingering challenge of high rates of missionary attrition impacts the long-term effectiveness of the work and the health and well-being of the workers. One of the keys to reducing premature attrition is cross-cultural training for these individuals, provided it offers the right content, through the best medium, at the time of greatest perceived need by the missionary. This paper applies the Dreyfus Model of skills acquisition to the process of mentoring career healthcare missionaries in a progressive manner, utilizing a mentoring method. These missionaries can flourish in their work and more effectively achieve their individual and organizational goals through strategic mentorship that clearly defines a pathway for growing their cross-cultural skills.

Mobilizing and training academic faculty for medical mission: current status and future directions

“…9 Various sending organizations could combine to provide specific pre-field training for medical educators. One effort to bring new medical missionaries together for this type of training is the Christian Medical and Dental Associations' Center for Medical Missions pre-field training course which is offered two to three times each year.…”

Teaching quality improvement in Tanzania: a model of inter-professional partnership for global health development

“…16 This involvement of health professionals early in their career promotes an ongoing lifetime interest in global health. 28,29 We also believe this model demonstrates the importance of teaching and learning as part of professional obligation to our partners in Tanzania. However, it should be recognized that including students and residents in presenting at the conference presents limitations and challenges in maintaining acceptable quality standards for educational content.…”

Preparing Christian health workers for international work: Evaluating a short global health course

“…Thus, health workers preparing to practice internationally need both professional and cross-cultural training. 5,7,9,11,12 Traditionally, lengthy, degree courses in public health, tropical medicine, international health, and community development have been offered by many universities around the world. 1,3 Shorter courses have also been offered-the most common of which is an international elective undertaken by many health professional students.…”