The globalization of society may have started in earnest when Columbus set sail.  But it ramped to warp-speed as jet planes allowed us to "be there tomorrow," spacecraft placed us firmly on the Moon, and the Internet opened an immediate window to all corners of the planet. That song was correct: We are the world.

Let's break through a few more boundaries, those personal to nurses, as we investigate how healthcare providers work, and play, in other parts of this culturally vibrant sphere called Earth. This blog endeavors to discover and share challenges and triumphs, struggles and pleasures, of nurses the world over.

It should come as no surprise that this writer reveres travel as the perfect conduit to disparate destinations - the familiar and the exotic. Indeed, the lessons lie in the contrasts.

Valerie Neff Newitt is a native Pennsylvanian living in Audubon, Montgomery County. A graduate of Wilkes University, Valerie has worked as a daily newspaper journalist and feature writer for women’s magazines prior to joining the editorial team at ADVANCE for Nurses