<p>Collaboration across national borders presents unique challenges and opportunities. A desire to expand your understanding of healthcare issues, and a willingness to share time and intellectual resources generously, contribute to successful collaboration. This is especially useful in small but rapidly developing healthcare specialities, such as genetic nursing. By outlining the benefits of work between two nurses in the UK and the US, this article argues that specialist nurses can benefit from international collaboration where the partners share problem solving and mentoring on common professional issues.</p>