Bente Norbye

Bente Norbye is a Professor in the Bachelor Program in Nursing at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty for Health Sciences, Department of Health and Care Sciences. She has dedicated her career to developing innovative educational approaches for nursing students in rural and remote areas of Northern Norway, pioneering Norway's first decentralized nursing education program that has become a model for circumpolar health education.

Her research interests focus on flexible learning forms for students in remote areas, interprofessional education in healthcare practice, action research methodologies involving students and healthcare personnel, and student learning in clinical practice. She has developed educational models specifically designed for rural municipalities and has been instrumental in creating sustainable healthcare networks through new technology and learning opportunities.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on interprofessional education, patient-centered care in clinical placements, and innovative approaches to decentralized nursing education in rural and Arctic regions. Her work demonstrates how action research can bridge the gap between healthcare education and clinical practice, particularly in remote communities with indigenous populations.

• The Norwegian Engineers and Managers Association 2015 National price for longstanding education for lifelong learning
• Tromsø University College 2008 Teaching award for developing Decentralized Nursing Education
• Tromsø University College 2005 Award for dissemination of professional expertise

Professor Norbye actively supervises multiple PhD candidates including Matias Rasi and Catrine Buck Jensen, and has led significant research projects such as "Arktisk Samprax" (2021-2024) which explores new models of clinical placements in nursing education. She coordinates the UArctic Northern Nursing Education Network and has developed international collaborations with institutions in Canada, New Zealand, and Scotland to advance circumpolar health education.

She leads the Research group for Health Professional Education at UiT and is actively involved in developing the "Innovative Summer Institute for Circumpolar Health," creating international learning opportunities for nursing students across the Arctic region.