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InTeRnaTIonaL nURSInG ReSeaRCH n 263

data with data from other health disciplines. experiences to studies that produce evidence
It is important to understand, thus, that the for best models of care that reflect and tran-
ICnP will always be dynamic. Just as nurs- scend countries (Mcauliffe & Cohen, 2005). I
ing science and technology evolve, the ter- To add to these definitions, global nurs-
minology that represents nursing practice ing research represents comparative research
must evolve. In addition, the ICnP must on nursing phenomena and on nursing issues
continue to meet international criteria set conducted in more than one country. This
by standards organizations and to work in includes research that is conducted cross-
harmony with other informatics and termi- nationally to examine issues of global inter-
nology initiatives. The ongoing development est to nurses and to test and develop theories.
and dissemination of the ICnP continue to The research is usually conducted by a nurse
be complementary to efforts already under- who resides in one country and studies phe-
way in nursing, building on and supporting nomena in another country. The purpose is
the existing work in nursing classifications. to compare the findings with the results of
similar research obtained in other countries.
Tae Youn Kim Such research provides opportunities to clar-
Amy Coenen ify scientific values, explore assumptions,
and develop shared frameworks.
Global research in nursing is growing
with the increased opportunities for travel,
InternatIonal nursIng networking, and collaboration. The increas-
ing abilities of nurses to study abroad, to
research attend international conferences, to visit
international institutions, and to commu-
nicate through electronic mail systems,
Driving international research through enhance comparative and collaborative
coherent frameworks and grounding it in research projects. International scholarship
research and experiences will help advance has focused on the use of U.S. nursing the-
knowledge in the discipline of nursing. It ories and the evaluation and testing of their
is important to note that the concept inter- utilities and appropriateness to the different
national, as in international education, nursing cultures. There are many descriptive
research, exchanges, and health, have been and analytical dialogues related to theory in
substituted in most contemporary literature the international literature. These dialogues
into the concept of global. Global health is have resulted in scholarly publications
differentiated from international health and related to the introduction and analysis of
public health by geographical research, level U.S. theories in many countries.
of cooperation, access to health, range of dis- Human resources analyses and investi-
ciplines, and the nature of the focus on indi- gations led to several international projects.
viduals and populations (Koplan et al., 2009). Questions related to the image and status
With global health transcending national of nursing, shortage of nurses, and distribu-
boundaries, requiring global cooperation, tions of nurses in urban and rural settings
embracing populations, and preventive care were examined. The results were compared
within equity and interdisciplinarity mod- and contrasted among and between coun-
els. Having a clear conceptual definition for tries and regions. There is general agreement
global health and using social justice theo- among researchers in many countries on
ries as frameworks (Kleinman, 2010) could the perception of nursing and the difficulty
help direct global research and exchanges in recruitment of students and retention of
in nursing from narratives about personal nurses in the workforce.