CNE Article
Exploring Nursing Roles Across North American Borders

The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing    Vol. 36  No. 4    July/August 2005

By Alice F. Kuehn, PhD, RN; Andrea Chircop, RN, MN; Barbara Downe-Wamboldt, PhD, RN; Debbie Sheppard-LeMoine, MN, BN, RN; Donna Murnaghan, RN, MN; Judy Elliott, MA; Kim Critchley, RN, PhD; Neil S. MacNaughton, MA, RN; Lourdes Méndez, MCE; Lucille Wittstock, MN, RN; Guadalupe Ramírez, MCST; Sabrina Arteaga, MF; Silvia Espinoza, MSP; Rosemary Herbert, RN; Tess Judge-Ellis, MSN, ARNP, FNP; Velia Cárdenas, ME

ABSTRACT

Professional nurses are challenged by the increasing complexity of their own healthcare delivery systems and by the growing interconnectivity of healthcare systems worldwide. There are increasing calls for practice across boundaries; however, the role and scope of nursing practice within individual countries are often unclear, ill-defined, and misunderstood by nurses from other countries. In this collaborative educational project among six schools of nursing located in Canada, México, and the United States, nursing students and faculty are exploring the role of the nurse within each country’s healthcare system while striving to develop their multicultural awareness. Participating faculty describe the process, challenges, and keys to success found in creating and living this international project. They share strategies for addressing challenges, which included meeting deadlines, time differences, differing academic schedules, writing joint documents in two languages, designing and presenting shared course, and creating an exchange process between the six partner schools. They describe the evolution of their working relationships, the language challenges, and the joy of coming together as newfound colleagues and friends.

AUTHORS

Dr. Kuehn and Ms. Elliott are from the University of Missouri–Columbia, Sinclair School of Nursing, Columbia, Missouri. Ms. Chircop, Dr. Downe-Wamboldt, Ms. Sheppard-LeMoine, and Ms. Wittstock are from Dalhousie University, School of Nursing, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Ms. Murnaghan, Ms. Critchley, and Ms. Herbert are from the University of Prince Edward Island, School of Nursing, PEI Health Research Institute, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Mr. MacNaughton is from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. Ms. Méndez, Ms. Espinoza, and Ms. Cárdenas are from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Ms. Ramírez and Ms. Arteaga are from the Universidad Autónoma de San Luís Potosí, San Luís Potosí, México. Ms. Judge- Ellis is from the University of Iowa College of Nursing, Iowa City, Iowa.

The author(s) disclose that they have no significant financial interests in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity, including research support.

This project was supported in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Secondary Education (FIPSE– North American); the Human Resources Department–Canada (HRDC); and the Secretária de Educación Pública–México (SEP).

Address correspondence to Alice F. Kuehn, PhD, RN, Director, North American Mobility in Nursing Project, University of Missouri–Columbia, S322 School of Nursing, Columbia, MO 65211.