HEAL4ALL Learning Expedition in Norway: Five Days of Learning, Practice and Collaboration
The 2nd HEAL4ALL Student Learning Expedition took place in Bodø, Norway, hosted by Nord University, bringing together students, educators and healthcare professionals from the project partner countries for five days of intensive international learning and collaboration. The programme focused on person-centred care, existential well-being and healthy ageing, combining academic learning with practical, experiential and reflective activities.
Throughout the week, participants explored existential health, grief, meaning-making and the lived experiences of older adults through lectures, intercultural activities, focus groups and reflective exercises. A key element was hands-on simulation-based learning, where international student teams practised person-centred communication and existential care in realistic healthcare scenarios at Nord University’s Skills Lab. The programme also included a visit to Mørkved Nursing Home, allowing participants to observe person-centred care in practice and reflect on how such approaches can be integrated into healthcare education.
The Learning Expedition concluded with the “Meaningful Ageing” conference, hosted by Nord University’s Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences. The event brought together participants and wider audiences to share learning outcomes and explore questions of meaning at the end of life, spirituality and religion as sources of meaning and struggle. The combination of academic knowledge, practical experience, reflection and international teamwork demonstrated the importance of connecting higher education with real-world healthcare environments and strengthening the competences of future healthcare professionals.
