Relationship building through the development of international nursing curricula: a literature review

Purpose: This expository paper explores the literature related to the development of international nursing (or midwifery) curricula as a vehicle for studying relationship-building. Background: International nursing curriculum development can be interpreted as a sanctioned extension of transnational, cross-cultural, political and economic professional outreach activities. Methods: Extensive literature searches were conducted in the CINAHL, ERIC, PsychINFO and ABI/INFORM Global databases of the key terms: relationship-building; international; curriculum development; and nursing. Findings: The review revealed developing international nursing curricula through cooperative partnerships between institutions of higher learning and/or international development agencies provides a vehicle to build international collegial relationships among nursing faculty and professionals worldwide. A summary is provided in a table. Conclusion: Relationship-building through the development of international nursing curricula merits focused investigation.