Despite the benefits of collaboration, first-year nursing students prefer not to work together. It was important to find out why nursing students do not want to collaborate. The purpose of this study was to discover first-year nursing students' and faculty's perceptions of how instructor-created opportunities for collaboration contributed to first-year nursing students' collaboration. Using Wenger's communities of practice (CoPs) model as a lens, the data were explored using a qualitative explanatory case study approach. This study consisted of individual interviews of 12 first-year nursing students and nursing faculty. Inclusion criteria included students enrolled in or faculty teaching first year of nursing school courses, and in a bachelor of science nursing program in the United States. The data were analyzed using inductive open code thematic analysis and the results revealed that students and faculty had new perceptions of how to successfully implement collaborative opportunities. The results revealed from faculty participants' perceptions were that they should make an effort, rotate group members, provide a rubric, and model collaboration themselves. Student participants' themes found were smaller group sizes, be allowed to choose group members, roles should be assigned, faculty should randomize groups, allow students to evaluate groups, and schedule time for group work. These new perceptions of implementing successful collaborative experiences in nursing education are implications for positive social change by improving nursing education delivery for students, improving educational outcomes, and producing nurses who can work together intra professionally to produce positive patient outcomes and increase job satisfaction. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]