A decade of international activities by US nurse faculty: A descriptive analysis

Background: In this era of increasing international awareness, few studies have revealed the contributions of US nurse faculty abroad. Purpose: Our purpose was to assess the scholarly activities, defined as teaching, research, consultation, and service, of US nurse faculty abroad from 1985 to 1995. Method: As part of a larger study (J Nurs Scholarsh 2000;32:415-20), nurse scholars were asked to describe their international work from 1985 to 1995. Nursing faculty (N = 2254) from all (N = 62) nursing doctoral programs active in 1995 were mailed an investigator-developed questionnaire via their institution. Finding: From 1010 responses, 247 scholars described 805 visits to 109 countries. US nurse faculty assisted in the introduction and continuation of university-based nursing education worldwide. Research activities were either site-specific to the country or related to general issues. Geographic regions differed in the number of visits they received and the type of scholarly activity undertaken. Conclusions: US nurse faculty were involved in diverse and widespread international nursing activities.