Nurses from occupational health care settings around the world, interpreting the theme “Communication, Health Care, and the Community,” presented papers at the First International Conference on Occupational Health Nursing in Edinburgh, Scotland in October, 1986. In keeping with AAOHN's commitment to an international perspective, this article is Part I of a five part series of articles that will be printed in the AAOHN JOURNAL. Next month, Part II of the series will feature, “Traditional and Modern Medicine in Worker Health Care.”