NERS NEWS — Hat Yai, Thailand – July 20, 2026 – The Universitas Airlangga (Unair) Student Exchange Program at Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Thailand, officially commenced with a warm Welcoming Party held at the Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University. The event marked the beginning of strengthened academic collaboration while introducing the learning environment that students would experience throughout the international exchange program. The Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Airlangga was represented by Natasya Aulia, Lintang Prameswari, and Ananda Rachmalia Putri.
The program began with welcoming remarks from the leadership of the Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, led by the Dean alongside faculty members. In a friendly atmosphere, the students from Universitas Airlangga had the opportunity to engage in discussions about the series of activities that would take place during the Student Exchange program.
During the discussion session, the PSU team outlined the academic and practical activities that participants would undertake, including lectures, visits to various healthcare facilities, observations of nursing practice in hospitals, and cultural exchange activities designed to broaden students’ understanding of Thailand’s healthcare system. The participants also received information regarding the program’s learning objectives, academic regulations, and expectations for active participation and cross-cultural collaboration throughout the exchange.
Following the welcoming session, the students attended their first class, titled Aesthetic in Nursing, a course that emphasizes the importance of humanistic values, empathy, and therapeutic communication in nursing practice.
During the session, students learned that conflict within healthcare settings is an unavoidable reality. Through case studies and group discussions, they explored how nurses should apply therapeutic communication when dealing with conflicts involving patients, families, or other healthcare professionals. The learning experience focused not only on conflict resolution but also on demonstrating empathy, practicing active listening, respecting different perspectives, and building trust as essential components of patient-centered care.
As a self-reflection exercise, the lecturer invited students to create drawings representing the type of nurse they aspire to become in the future. Through these illustrations, each student expressed the professional values they hoped to embody, such as being compassionate, communicative, responsible, committed to providing safe and high-quality care, and consistently prioritizing patients’ holistic needs. This activity served as a reflective exercise to help students develop their professional identity while strengthening their commitment to delivering nursing care grounded in empathy, integrity, and professionalism.
The first day of the Student Exchange program at Prince of Songkla University provided a meaningful learning experience. In addition to introducing students to an international academic environment, the program offered new perspectives on the importance of aesthetics, communication, and humanistic values in nursing practice. It is hoped that the entire program at PSU will enrich the competencies of Universitas Airlangga students, enabling them to become adaptive, globally competitive nursing professionals who are prepared to deliver patient-centered healthcare.
Writer: Lintang Prameswari
