A CASE REPORT OF AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO HARNESSING HUMAN RESOURCES AT A NURSING SCHOOL IN BOTSWANA

Abstract

The paper aims at sharing how human resources limitation drove collaborative teaching at an international level. In 2012, shortage of manpower in face-to face teaching prompted the nursing school to harness human resources outside the country to teach through an on-line mode. A gentlemen’s agreement was made with a vising Pharmacist from the USA to offer the course online as a community service gesture. The USA team consisted of five pharmacists while the Botswana team consisted of the head of school, a faculty member, and a clinical pharmacologist. The course offering was limited to exchange of written materials between students and the facilitators through e-mails. Interactive platforms were not possible as the facilitators could not access the university’s learning/teaching tools. Five (5) students completed the course and passed; and all have since graduated. The course evaluation from both the facilitators’ and the students’ perspectives revealed both benefits and challenges.