Promoting cultural awareness in nursing education through international videoconferences

This paper describes a highly successful, 10 year long international videoconference exchange between nursing students in Iwate Prefectural University in northern Japan and the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the United States. A summary of the literature on the use of videoconferencing in nursing education is presented, as well as a brief overview of the collaborative partnership that led to the development of the annual videoconference series. A description of the process for conducting the annual real-time sessions is included along with student perspectives about their experiences. Planning, support and open-mindedness on the part of both students and nursing faculty have contributed to the success of this collaborative effort.