International nurse education research collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic: Researchers' perspectives

BACKGROUND: International research collaborations in nurse are increasing. However, collaborations in international nurse education research are limited compared to clinical nurse studies. This paper presents the experiences of seven investigators of a multi-country study while conducting collaborative research among nurse students across five continents. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to describe the experiences and challenges of conducting an international nurse education research and to propose recommendations to enhance these collaborative research experiences. METHODS: Narrative perspectives from nurse educators on the international nurse collaborative experience were described in this discussion paper. RESULTS: International collaboration in nurse education research was a positive and enriching experience. While several challenges were experienced by the collaborators, the presence of facilitating factors, benefits of collaboration, and opportunities for personal and professional growth and development outweighed the challenges. Team leader attributes, active engagement, commitment, genuine interest, and cultural sensitivity are essential in creating a successful international nurse research project. CONCLUSION: International collaborative nurse research fosters expansion of nurse knowledge through sharing of expertise and development of culturally diverse perspectives.