About Adventist Nursing International
Our vision & mission
We envision a growing community of Adventist nurses around the world committed to advancing nursing knowledge, scholarship and clinical practice among all cultures, using the common language of healing to minister to all. Our mission is to highlight their accomplishments, enhance information exchange and provide a platform for collaboration among Adventist nurses as they strive to improve nursing care and bring the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ to all nations.
Leadership
Behind this initiative are men and women who have dedicated their lives and
careers to international nursing; bridging cultural, geographic and economic
gaps to empower all Adventist nurses to raise and promote standards of care
in their own communities.
Click here to meet them.
Our history
Adventist Nursing International is the latest expression of commitment to international outreach which started in the early days of the College of Medical Evangelists when one of the objectives of the College was to prepare missionary doctors and nurses. Through the years the School of Nursing has prepared nurses and nurse educators for service throughout the world. A growing interest in what LLU could contribute in terms of faculty, staff, and program development internationally resulted in the convening of an International nursing outreach committee in 1992.
The following year, representatives from the nursing division of LLU Medical Center (LLUMC), the LLU School of Nursing (LLUSN) Alumni Association, and a nurse businesswoman from the community became regular members. Patricia Jones became chair with other key persons from the LLUSN, the Nursing Division of LLUMC, and a Del Webb Library representative joining in to support the enlarging and evolving vision for the council. Its name was changed to International Nursing Council (INC) when it became an administrative council, jointly administered by the LLUSN and LLUMC Nursing. About the same time the LLUSN established the Office of International Nursing and Dr. Pat Jones, a faculty member in the Graduate Program in Nursing and an associate director in the GC department of Health Ministries, became its first director.
It was recognized from the beginning that external funding would be needed to support international outreach, and a group which was eventually named the LLU Board of Advisors for International Nursing was organized in 1995. Pat Jones and Helen King with the assistance of Ene Gaines and later Diana Fisher led the group in its fund-raising activities. Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Carol Zirkle assumed leadership of the board in the spring of 2000 and have since remained active in directing various fundraising projects.
Today, Adventist Nursing International represents the outreach activities of the International Nursing Council, the LLUSN Office of International Nursing, and the nursing portion of the Department of Health Ministries in the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Through academic and clinical mentorships, the INC contributes to development of nursing leaders in schools of nursing and hospitals around the world. Global Connections, primarily an effort of LLUMC Nursing under the leadership of Jan Zumwalt, provides clinical consultation to nurses and nursing departments in Adventist hospitals that request assistance in developing new standards of quality. The LLUSN Office of International Nursing, in conjunction with the Department of Health Ministries of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, coordinates the project Global Partnerships in Nursing for Wholistic Nursing Care. This project offers Adventist nursing leaders in diverse settings an opportunity to come together to discuss the meaning and relevance of wholistic nursing, to address global and contextual challenges in nursing education and practice, and to establish professional networks. Since 1998, the program has convened international conferences for Adventist nurses in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and South America.
The early mission and vision of our pioneers is still being carried forward at Loma Linda University through the outreach activities and joint efforts of the entities described above.