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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Elissa Dresden, ND RN, Post Doctoral Trainee, University of Illinois College of Nursing Global Health Leadership Office, 845 South Damen Avenue (M/C 802), 11th Floor, Chicago, IL 60612, Stacey Ballou, ND RN, Regional Health Coordinator, East Africa, American Red Cross, P O Box 41275, Nairobi, Kenya, and Carey Lennon, ND MSN RNC WHCNP, Private Practice OB/GYN (Dr. Burt Webb), 7301 E. 2nd St. Suite 311, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, 480-425-8700, edresden@uic.edu.
Nurses play critical roles and contribute unique primary health care services in complex humanitarian emergency and transitional settings where populations face natural and political turmoil. However, there is a general lack of recognition and understanding of their work in these challenging arenas. Public health nurses in particular offer distinct skills that promote and protect the health of populations and reduce health disparities, while developing collaborative and sustainable partnerships in international settings. The diverse public health nursing workforce will benefit from information on humanitarian nursing issues, opportunities, and training. Further professional development and scholarship in this area needs to be prioritized as the burden of intervention intensifies, cultures and nations grow increasingly interdependent and interwoven, and all parties struggle with competing agendas and promoting sustainability of efforts. Nursing leadership worldwide can promote awareness of global health concerns and nursing practice issues for a spectrum of humanitarian settings.
This presentation will describe the roles of and opportunities for public health nurses in international complex humanitarian emergency and transitional settings. The presenters will draw from their experiences in Kosovo and elsewhere in order to demonstrate an actualization of such roles and skill development, as well as the need for further progress in raising awareness and taking action. Data from a Kosovo case study will be presented and analyzed. Emphasis will be placed on the need for further development of these roles and the responsibility of nursing leadership to promote global health awareness and training.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Developing Countries, Public Health Nursing
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: International Medical Corps
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.