Nurses and nursing education in Ghana: creating collaborative opportunities.
OBJECTIVE
This is a story intended to motivate the reader to become immersed in 'verbal snapshots' depicting the reality of nursing in Ghana as experienced by the writer. Its purpose is to encourage dialogue and creative collaboration between nurse educators in radically different settings, which would serve to enrich all those involved.


BACKGROUND
During the summer of 2003, a faculty member from the School of Nursing at Georgia Southern University (GSU) travelled to Africa to establish a relationship between GSU and a nursing school in Ghana, West Africa. This paper is based on the daily journal kept by that faculty member who engaged in clinical practice experiences as well as discussions with nursing educators in Ghana. Integrated in this subjective account are health data specific to Ghana. These serve to underscore health issues and situations of urgent concern in Ghana as well as to the global community, and which will assist in highlighting the potential contribution of such collaboration to strengthening the health system of the country.


CONCLUSIONS
The outcome of the relationship established during this visit was intended to be a meaningful interchange of resources and experiences for both faculty and students at the two schools. It was successful in that regard. Funding is now being sought to enable further collaboration.
Talley
B
B
Georgia Southern University, School of Nursing, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA. btalley@georgiasouthern.edu
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration; D004510:Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005845:Georgia; D005869:Ghana; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D007393:International Educational Exchange; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011203:Poverty; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D012579:Schools, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration