Global Partnerships in Nursing
Year two focuses on South America
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| Loma Linda University School of Nursing, working in cooperation with River Plate Adventist University in Argentina, will hold a nursing conference later this year similar to this one held last year in Thailand. |
The Global Partnerships in Nursing project, which began in August, 1998, is designed to increase interaction and sharing among Seventh-day Adventist professional nurses, nurse educators, and nursing administrators on a global scale.
"Adventist hospitals and schools of nursing around the world face great challenges," says Patricia S. Jones, PhD, RN, professor of nursing and chair of the Global Partnerships in Nursing project.
In order to support Adventist nursing around the world, Helen E. King, PhD, RN, dean, School of Nursing, and Dr. Jones decided to group the world divisions into three major areas and to focus on one area at a time.
"We have completed phase one of the project," Dr. Jones says, "which focused on Asia." Seminars and projects were conducted in Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The seminars centered around a common theme--wholistic nursing care, a shared mission among Seventh-day Adventist nurses. The concluding conference in Thailand brought nurses together from throughout Asia, creating a network of strength and partnership.
"Phase two of the project, which we are now in," Dr. Jones continues, "is focusing on the South American and Inter-American Divisions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."
The first seminar was held in Costa Rica in May, 2000. Participants from throughout the Inter-American Division attended the seminar.
Another seminar/workshop will be held in Brazil later this year. At the end of the project year, a concluding conference will take place for nurses from the entire South American Division. The conference is tentatively scheduled to be held in Argentina. Plans for this conference are being developed jointly with the administration and faculty of the department of nursing at River Plate Adventist University, Entre Rios, Argentina.
Phase three of the nursing project will focus on the Euro-African Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
"Many institutions in Africa have already indicated that they are very eager to participate in this project," Dr. Jones declares. "In 2002, the concluding year of the project, we hope to bring together in one place representatives of Adventist schools of nursing and hospital nursing departments from around the world for an international conference.
"This will be the first conference of its type. The location has not yet been determined, but many are hopeful that it will be held at Loma Linda."
According to Dr. Jones, this project could not be accomplished without the partnering of two friends of the School of Nursing--Dr. and Mrs. Ralph J. Thompson Jr., through the Ralph and Carolyn Thompson Charitable Foundation.
Dr. Thompson is a 1951 graduate of the School of Medicine, and Mrs. Carolyn Thompson is a 1949 graduate of the School of Nursing.
"As the different phases of this project are completed, Adventist nurses in hospitals and schools, not only in the South American Division and Asia, but also around the world, will be able to network and share their expertise and have opportunities for growth," Dr. Jones observes.
At the beginning of year one of the project, Dr. Jones called upon two Seventh-day Adventist nursing experts available in the Asia-Pacific area to contribute their expertise--Alwyn Galway, PhD, RN, dean, School of Nursing, Avondale College, Cooranbong, Australia, and Siriporn Tantipoonwinai, PhD, RN, president, Seventh-day Adventist Mission College, Bangkok, Thailand.
A little over a year ago, Drs. Jones and King traveled to India as part of the first phase of the project. They met with nursing professionals in Adventist hospitals and schools of nursing, as well as with professionals at Christian Medical College in Vellore.
"What impressed us strongly," remembers Dr. King, "is how isolated Seventh-day Adventist schools of nursing and hospitals are, the limited resources they possess, and how much they can benefit from being connected in the Adventist system. This project provided a mechanism in phase one--and will continue as we focus on South America--that will help link our colleagues with local, regional, and international resources."
Dr. Jones' philosophy is that all Seventh-day Adventist nurses are part of one system. As the Global Partnerships in Nursing program moves into phase two (South America and Inter-America), and phase three (Africa), a strong network of interaction will be established and support the goals of the Department of Health Ministries of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
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