Building the institutional capacity for sustainable global health nursing partnerships: a case study

• Main Authors: Dr. Jeffrey V Johnson, PhD, Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, Rosemary F Riel, MAA, Marik A Moen, MSN MPH, Anne R Brenner, BA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2014-05-01
• Series: The Lancet Global Health
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214109X15700628

Background: Globally, nursing is the largest health profession. Nurses provide crucially important health services in both acute and primary health-care settings around the world. Building the capacity of nurses to address global health challenges—particularly in resource-constrained settings—is a key element of health systems strengthening. North–South global partnerships between sister schools of nursing can contribute to building the capacity of nurses on both sides of the partnership. We developed a strategy to build institutional capacity for global health at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and aimed to identify key elements of success. Methods: We used a case study approach to identify and analyse the key elements in the successful implementation of UMSON's 6-year global health strategic plan to build institutional capacity for programmatic partnerships with nursing schools in Nigeria, Liberia, Rwanda, and Haiti, and faculty and student exchange programmes with schools of nursing in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Findings: Four crucial elements were identified in successful programme implementation: (1) strong advocacy for global health by student and faculty organisations within UMSON and the University of Maryland Baltimore; (2) integration of global health into the School of Nursing's overall strategic plan; (3) establishment of the Office of Global Health to provide core institutional agency to leverage resources; and (4) development of strong partnerships with nursing schools in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East, which includes faculty and student exchange programmes and long-term programmatic collaborations that focus on nursing capacity development. Interpretation: The implementation of UMSON's strategic plan for global health has provided a sustainable institutional framework that supports the development of partnerships with other schools of nursing in several countries worldwide. These partnerships have provided mutually beneficial educational experiences for nursing students and faculty from both UMSON and our sister schools of nursing. These partnerships have also contributed to continuing changes in nursing education and practice at home and abroad. Funding: None.