Promoting cultural awareness in nursing education through international videoconferences

This paper describes a highly successful, 10 year long international videoconference exchange between nursing students in Iwate Prefectural University in northern Japan and the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the United States. A summary of the literature on the use of videoconferencing in nursing education is presented, as well as a brief overview of the collaborative partnership that led to the development of the annual videoconference series. A description of the process for conducting the annual real‐time sessions is included along with student perspectives about their experiences. Planning, support and open‐mindedness on the part of both students and nursing faculty have contributed to the success of this collaborative effort.