20: ENHANCING THE DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE DEGREE ■ 451join. We also had the honor of having Dr. Dickenson, who spoke on reproduc-
tive ethics, and much of the concepts she presented that morning in late April
were ideas shared from her soon- to- be- published book. Particularly memorable
was a pleasant train ride to the University of Bedfordshire, north of London, to
hear Professor Christopher Johns, author of several books including Engaging
Reflection in Practice: A Narrative Approach (Jones, 2006), used the previous se-
mester before our London experience. Dr. Johns lectured as if he was telling a
story, a format many of the British lecturers seemed to follow. We were encour-
aged to discuss our own personal experiences, and by the end of our time to-
gether, a tapestry of our reflections had been woven together as a testament to
the power of reflective practice. Hearing from, interacting with, and then being
escorted through the reflective process was far more enriching than my previ-
ous attempt at reading his book and then attempting to synthesize reflective
practice into my everyday life. A visit to the St. George’s Healthcare National
Health Service Trust main campus in Tooting, southwest London, one of the
United Kingdom’s largest teaching hospitals and associated with the renowned
St. George’s University of London, provided an opportunity to observe and
compare a socialized health care system to our own capitalistic health care sys-
tem in the United States. Perhaps the highlight of the visit for me was speak-
ing with the nursing staff on their vascular unit. I was encouraged to find far
more similarities than differences in the management of clients with vascular
disease. It was also refreshing to see the importance placed on the nursing con-
tribution to the care of the patient. By the completion of the visit I had a true
appreciation for the National Health Services and the attempt to provide every
citizen with availability and access to primary health care. The remainder of
the time not taken up with academic and professional pursuits was spent with
my classmates touring Cambridge, exploring the culture, people, and histori-
cal sites of London, including a fascinating medical walking tour and a visit to
the Florence Nightingale Museum. On the last day of my London adventure,
I took a walk into Hyde Park, a stroll I became quite fond of over the previous
2 weeks. As I slowly walked along the edge of Round Pond, my mind was no
longer consumed with daydreams of anticipated future experiences or skep-
ticism. Instead, it was filled with the knowledge, experiences, and memories
obtained from the past 2 weeks. Knowledge gleaned from the exceptional guest
lecturers who so willingly shared their expertise. Experiences fostering an in-
ternational perspective of nursing, and a realization of the responsibility I bear
to my profession that goes beyond the door of my institution and is not limited
by borders. And memories of people and places that I will carry with me for
the rest of my life.
Scott Oldfield, DrNP, CRNP, Vascular Surgery Clinic, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville,
Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Class of 2006■ CASE STUDY I: The DrNP- in- London Program: A Doctoral
Student’s Perspective (continued)