Villanova Nursing Students Study at SHU Dingle

Future nurses explore beautiful coastal community while immersing themselves in Irish arts and traditions

Key Highlights

• ^{More than 20 Villanova University nursing students are spending their sophomore fall semester studying at Sacred Heart University’s Dingle campus in Ireland}
• ^{The Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (Villanova) and Davis & Henley College of Nursing (SHU) collaborated to align their curricula—allowing nursing students to study abroad without delaying clinical coursework}
• ^{Students take core nursing classes such as health assessment and microbiology alongside Irish religion and music courses taught by local faculty}

This fall semester, more than 20 nursing students from the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University kicked off their sophomore year at Sacred Heart University’s campus in Dingle, Ireland, and are now fully immersed in a one-of-a-kind study abroad adventure.

It’s often difficult for nursing students to study abroad because their coursework is so demanding: There are certain courses they need to take in a particular sequence to be prepared for their clinical rotations. But it just so happens that, through thoughtful collaboration, nursing faculty from SHU and Villanova were able to seamlessly align their curricular offerings so that the students who travel from Pennsylvania across the Atlantic can take not only nursing-specific courses like health assessment and microbiology, but also Irish religion and Irish music courses taught by Irish faculty. The partnership has flourished and for the past three years, Villanova nursing students have been gaining a global experience at SHU Dingle while not missing a beat in their rigorous academic studies.

As the Villanova students have shared their incredible learning experiences exploring Ireland and Europe, the semester abroad has grown in popularity. Three years ago, two Villanova nursing students went to Dingle; now there are 21 Villanova students studying there.

“My experience has been incredible, both socially and academically,” said Bridget May of Towson, MD. “I love growing closer with my Villanova and SHU classmates through the program’s excursions. Academically, the teachers at SHU Dingle have been excellent and are always willing to go over challenging concepts.”

May and others say they would “100% recommend this experience to other nursing students.”

“It is valuable academically, as it has helped broaden my perspective on global health by studying outside the U.S.,” she said.

Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor of the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, Donna S. Havens, said that initially some parents were concerned that their students would get homesick while in Ireland. But the parents acquiesced and later visited their children in breathtaking Dingle to see how they were acclimating.

“They were no longer worried about their children being homesick—now they ask, ‘Will they ever leave Ireland?’” Havens said. “This is a marvelous opportunity for our students to be part of another culture. To be able to expose students to a different world view is an amazing and important educational experience that we offer our students.”

Havens, who spent a week in September at SHU Dingle, said the SHU Dingle and Davis & Henley College of Nursing (DHCON) faculty work hard to make sure all the students feel comfortable. She also noticed that the locals love the students and do everything they can to make them feel like a part of the community. “They look after the students, take care of them, give them extra food and make sure they have everything they need,” Havens said. “It’s really a unique culturally immersive experience.”

While Dingle is a popular tourist destination, Villanova students are there during the fall semester which borders on the tourist offseason.  So, as the beautiful campus and welcoming community benefit the students, their patronage of restaurants and stores helps the local economy. “It’s a win-win,” Havens added.

“Dingle, Ireland is truly the best place ever and being able to study at SHU Dingle feels like such a gift,” said Iris West of Darien. “What I love most is how the SHU program helps students fully immerse themselves in the local culture. They organize amazing activities like group dinners, Irish dancing, traveling and horseback riding, while also giving us free time to explore on our own. It's the perfect balance of structure and independence, and it really allows us to experience Dingle in a meaningful way.”

West said that as a nursing student, she thought it would be “nearly impossible” to study abroad and was pleased when she discovered the Dingle opportunity. “Study abroad truly changes you, and for the better,” West said. “It has been such a rewarding experience, and I've grown in so many aspects of life.”

How the Partnership Began

Several years ago, when DHCON Dean Karen Daley, a Villanova alum, and Havens were networking and discussing matters pertinent to deans, Daley mentioned that she’d just returned from SHU Dingle. Havens responded that she was about to hop on a plane to Ireland and visit for a family vacation. “My dad’s whole heritage comes from the Dingle Peninsula—my grandparents were born and raised there,” Havens said, noting that she visits almost every other year.

The shared connection made them pause with excitement at the potential opportunity. The deans discussed more, and after consulting with faculty from both institutions, they realized that since their nursing curricula aligned so well, Villanova could send nursing students to the Dingle campus to study for an entire semester—an unusual opportunity for nursing students.

This September brought deans Daley and Havens on a fulfilling trip when they visited the large group of Villanova nursing students in Dingle. They were pleased to report that everyone was having a great time.

The deans tagged along with students and saw the fun they were having in their Irish pottery classes as well as their nursing courses. “We loved it,” Daley said. “We’re really pleased to offer nursing students a very special experience.”

The nursing students aren’t the only visitors at SHU Dingle this fall. SHU’s College of Health Professions students are also spending the semester there. Both groups are talking about their health-related studies, getting to know one another and making lifelong friends.

“My favorite part about SHU Dingle would have to be the activities,” said Jamair Hawkins of Lawrenceville, GA. “From the start, they’ve helped me build strong relationships with my classmates and with SHU peers who are here with me. These activities (including a class weekend excursion to London) have brought us together and created bonds that I believe will last a lifetime.

"As an aspiring nurse, being immersed in different cultures has taught me how to better understand and adapt to people’s diverse needs, which I know is something that will help me provide more patient-centered care in the future.”