Strengthening nursing and midwifery in the Caribbean through international collaboration

A new publication highlights the success of an international partnership working to strengthen nursing and midwifery in the Caribbean. "Fostering International Collaborations to Inform Nursing and Midwifery Policy: A Caribbean Initiative," appears in the International Nursing Review. It was led by Penn Nursing's Eileen T. Lake, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor in Gerontology, with Carmen Alvarez, PhD, CRNP, CNM, FAAN, Associate Professor of Nursing, serving as co-author.

The initiative was created to support the strategic goals of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) for nursing and midwifery workforce development in the Caribbean region. The Caribbean faces significant challenges in this area, including high rates of migration and critical workforce shortages. Together, the CC collaborative streamlined the process for collecting comprehensive (i.e., (education, practice, and policy), region-wide data and reduced the burden on survey respondents.

The publication details the development, implementation, and impact of the initiative. Key structures, displayed in the colorful Figure 2, included the Pan American Collaborating Centers for Nursing and Midwifery (PANMCC) network, formal leadership, and support from PAHO. The process involved regular communication, stakeholder engagement, and a collaborative approach to survey design.

The collaboration led to the successful creation and implementation of a comprehensive survey to 20 Caribbean countries, which resulted in a 100% response rate from the country Chief Nursing Officers and a 60% response rate from directors of higher education. Unexpected benefits of the initiative included the strengthening of the PANMCC network and the creation of new opportunities for collaboration.

"The paper's findings demonstrate the potential for coordinated efforts to inform nursing and midwifery human resources for health policy and practice in regions with limited resources," said Lake, who also serves as Associate Director of Penn Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research.

Lake and Alvarez represent Penn Nursing's Collaborating Center (CC) for Nursing and Midwifery, which is designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to fulfill activities to address WHO priorities. Lake spearheaded this initiative that included six other Pan American CCs and staff of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), comprising a total of 15 co-authors who collaborated over 18 months.