On June 20th, 2014, two faculty members from the Nursing Department of Leshan Vocational and Technical College, Cheng Tao and Li Hongmei, departed for an exchange visit to Blue Ridge Community College in Virginia, USA. They successfully returned to Leshan on July 16th, 2014.

During their 25-day exchange in Virginia, the two faculty members visited Blue Ridge Community College and several representative universities, hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, and free clinics in the area. These included the University of Virginia, James Madison University, Rockingham Memorial Hospital, Bridgewater Nursing Home, and others.

While at Blue Ridge Community College, the two faculty members gained insights into the college’s organizational structure, academic programs, continuing education initiatives, and student services. They focused on learning about the nursing program’s admission procedures, teaching organization, laboratory construction, curriculum design, and students’ career development. They had in-depth discussions with Linda Edwards, a nursing professor at the college, on the differences and similarities in nursing curriculum design, teaching organization, and clinical practice between the two institutions.

During their stay, they also had the opportunity to participate in the LPN-RN (Licensed Practical Nurse - Registered Nurse) transition course classes, interacted well with the students, and introduced the nursing program at their college and the career development of nurses in China.

Looking back on the entire exchange period, the two faculty members gained a deeper understanding of the teaching management system and educational philosophy of American community colleges, as well as the American eldercare system and nursing home management practices. This experience broadened their horizons and will be beneficial in improving the teaching organization and educational philosophy of the nursing program at their college.