Internationalization of higher education: potentials and pitfalls for nursing education

Internationalization, an integral part of strategic planning initiatives in universities around the world, is occurring within the context of globalization. As we move toward greater internationalization in nursing education, we must understand the ideologies that currently underpin globalization and their fit with the vision and mission of nursing.

To outline the current debates surrounding internationalization and globalization and their potential consequences for universities.

The historical and current interest in internationalization and globalization are reviewed briefly in order to set the context for this discussion.

What emerges from an analysis of current internationalization directions is the complexity of the relationship between internationalization and the conflicting ideologies underpinning globalization. Nursing can play a key role within universities to ensure that varying viewpoints are debated and the implications of varying internationalization decisions are understood.