title: Communication channels to help build an international community of education and practice.
abstract: Two-way communication is required if nurses are to build knowledge networks of international communities of nursing education and practice. Are expensive new technologies feasible or preferred for effective communication and productive outcomes? In this report from a longstanding partnership between schools of nursing at Peking University and the University of Michigan, case study methodology is used to evaluate more than a decade of experience with communication modalities: in person, postal mail, express mail, e-mail, fax, telephone, hand delivery by other travelers, and Web sites. Although each education and practice community develops unique ways to build its shared knowledge, a communications plan is suggested, with use of multiple communication techniques, especially those that are low cost and the most dependable. High-cost technologies are not always feasible or preferred. For the project described, they were not necessary to the major outcome, a nursing education and practice network that resulted in the first nurse-managed community-based clinic in China.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan School of Nursing, Room 4221, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0482, USA. doakley@umich.edu
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oakley
authors.forename: Mei-yu
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shaomei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Doren
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D015709:Correspondence as Topic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000458:organization & administration; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007393:International Educational Exchange; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008824:Michigan; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D010934:Planning Techniques; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012579:Schools, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016636:Telefacsimile / Q000458:organization & administration; D013689:Telephone / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data