a world of difference?

International Journal of Nursing Practice 2000; 6: 117 The Editors and Editorial Advisers of the International Journal of Nursing Practice are committed to developing global understandings of nursing and the international exchange of knowledge and information on nursing. Although the cultural contexts within which nursing is delivered have a profound effect on the design of nursing services, the education and training of nurses, and the structure of nursing teams, the values of nursing transcend cultural boundaries. Sit a group of nurses from different countries or cultures together and the emerging dialogue is usually testament to this. Despite our differences, our problems are eerily similar.Nurses across the world worry about the effectiveness of professional education, rela- tionships between nurses and other health professionals and the devaluing of nursing by politicians and policy makers. No matter where we live and practice, we tend to be overwhelmed by the pace of change in health care and the increasing difﬁculties this creates in our quest to provide comprehensive, sensitive care. The problem of motivating a large workforce to be both up-to-date and innovative is common to nursing services from the inner- city super-hospital in North America to the small, rural hospital in a developing country in Africa Because of our common, core mission and the global fundamentals of nursing practice, we have much to learn from each other but, despite the current focus on the concept of globalization, the tendency of nurses to focus on the ideas and actions of leaders and innovators in their own country or region is as strong as ever. The Interna- tional Journal of Nursing Practice has, since its inception, attempted to encourage nurses to learn from those in other countries. In 2001, the ﬁrst year of the third mil- lennium, the Journal will examine nurses and nursing in all member countries of the International Council of Nurses. Special supplements will be included in each of the six 2001 issues, examining how nursing services are structured; how nursing care delivery is organised; how nurses are educated; and how nurses in over 100 countries are planning for the future. This series of supplements will, we hope, be of much use to nursing students, nursing clinicians, nursing acad- emics and nursing managers in understanding the state of nursing internationally. More importantly, they will expose the activities of nurses from all corners of the world and demonstrate how nursing, as the central com- ponent of health care, confronts issues common to us all in many different ways. Alan Pearson Editor ✠ EDITORIAL ✠ A world of difference?

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International Journal of Nursing Practice 2000; 6: 117

The Editors and Editorial Advisers of the International

Journal of Nursing Practice are committed to developingglobal understandings of nursing and the internationalexchange of knowledge and information on nursing.

Although the cultural contexts within which nursing isdelivered have a profound effect on the design of nursingservices, the education and training of nurses, and thestructure of nursing teams, the values of nursing transcendcultural boundaries. Sit a group of nurses from differentcountries or cultures together and the emerging dialogueis usually testament to this. Despite our differences, ourproblems are eerily similar. Nurses across the world worryabout the effectiveness of professional education, rela-tionships between nurses and other health professionalsand the devaluing of nursing by politicians and policymakers. No matter where we live and practice, we tendto be overwhelmed by the pace of change in health careand the increasing difficulties this creates in our quest toprovide comprehensive, sensitive care. The problem ofmotivating a large workforce to be both up-to-date andinnovative is common to nursing services from the inner-city super-hospital in North America to the small, ruralhospital in a developing country in Africa

Because of our common, core mission and the globalfundamentals of nursing practice, we have much to learn

from each other but, despite the current focus on theconcept of globalization, the tendency of nurses to focuson the ideas and actions of leaders and innovators in theirown country or region is as strong as ever. The Interna-

tional Journal of Nursing Practice has, since its inception,attempted to encourage nurses to learn from those inother countries. In 2001, the first year of the third mil-lennium, the Journal will examine nurses and nursing inall member countries of the International Council ofNurses. Special supplements will be included in each ofthe six 2001 issues, examining how nursing services arestructured; how nursing care delivery is organised; hownurses are educated; and how nurses in over 100 coun-tries are planning for the future.

This series of supplements will, we hope, be of muchuse to nursing students, nursing clinicians, nursing acad-emics and nursing managers in understanding the state ofnursing internationally. More importantly, they willexpose the activities of nurses from all corners of theworld and demonstrate how nursing, as the central com-ponent of health care, confronts issues common to us allin many different ways.