Background: Collaborative and innovative educational approaches are essential to building nurses' competencies in responding to healthcare challenges and to enhance high-quality nursing practice. Nurses are increasingly learning in various contexts, and thus, the understanding and organising of collaborative learning needs further exploration.

Aim: To describe collaborative learning in nursing practice and education from the point of view of nurses, involved as students and teachers in master's education in nursing.

Design and methods: Qualitative study using semi-structured focus groups involving 33 nurses as master's students and teachers from Estonia and Norway. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Findings: The essence of collaborative learning in the context of nursing practice and education was identified as the aggregation of diverse learners' skills and reflections while working towards shared aims. This fostered the development of workplace competencies, professional attitudes, and personal growth. Organising collaborative learning requires careful planning and synchronisation between clinical and educational organisations.

Conclusions: Collaborative learning is an inclusive method, aiding nurses at different phases of their career to gain knowledge and enhance their soft skills, and potentially reducing professional hierarchies. Further research is needed to develop methods for evaluating the outcomes of collaborative learning.