INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION FOR ONLINE NURSING EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION The composition of the populace is changing and the 21st century calls on us to adopt new ways of working together to effect change. There are an estimated 12 million nurses in the world currently. The nursing world is very small, and many issues and challenges faced by nurses around the globe are virtually identical. These need to be explored and areas of collaboration must be identified. There exists a need for collaborative efforts in nursing education and practice to address global issues in health care, present and into the future using distance education, specifically the online method of delivery. The authors offer this proposal for collaboration internationally with schools of nursing to expand basic, baccalaureate, and graduate nursing education through online curriculum delivery. PURPOSES There is a need to address the just allocation of scarce resources globally. The following identify several purposes for this exploratory approach to create and substantiate collaboration for international nursing education curricula and practices. -Address nursing shortage issues through an international approach -Provide opportunities for nursing education advancement by: Delivering an international curricula online Expanding availability of advanced degrees -Assist in addressing culturally diverse health care needs -Address global issues of chronicity and aging The nursing shortage is recognized as a dangerous lack of skilled nurses to care for individuals and populations. The nursing shortage exists world-wide, and is affecting health care delivery on a global basis. Collaborative educational efforts seek to: -Share faculty expertise -Explore international clinical experiences for students -Expand availability of advanced degree programs -Clarify/define nursing's role in medical tourism METHOD Through collaboration between the School of Nursing, California State University Dominguez Hills, USA, and schools of nursing within Europe and Sierra Leone, distance education technology strategies are being identified to enhance and advance nursing education globally.. Nursing practice will be improved by sharing and implementing evidence-based procedures. EXPECTED OUTCOMES Nursing Education and Research: -Advance and enhance nursing education globally by sharing evidence- based (EBP) research -Reduce stress on nurses - nurse scientists possess the potential to decrease the global burden of catastrophic and tragic health outcomes. -Develop online classes for international clinical experiences. -Develop further preceptored experiences among diverse student bodies. -Organize and educate nurses using simulation, to improve performance and reduce errors. Nursing Practice: Increase the quality of life for the population by sharing guidelines for standard of care and proactive guidelines; Improve outcomes; Identify international populations-populations on the periphery of society and the disenfranchised. CONCLUSION This win-win collaboration can be beneficial for nurses to practice, conduct research, educate others and collaborate internationally for the advancement of the profession and health care.