Academic Leaders Form New Global Alliance on Nursing Education
to Focus on Improving Patient Care Worldwide
WASHINGTON, D.C., January
18, 2006 - Four of the world’s leading nursing education
organizations have established a new alliance to improve
patient care through nursing education and ensure a robust
global supply of highly educated nurses. Formed in December
2005, the Global Alliance on Nursing Education (GANE)
includes representatives from Australia & New Zealand,
Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States who
are committed to enhancing the educational preparation
of registered nurses (RNs), expanding opportunities for
nursing education, and addressing student enrollment concerns,
including the growing shortage of nurse faculty. GANE
members include the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing (AACN), the Canadian Association of Schools of
Nursing (CASN), the Council of Deans and Heads of United
Kingdom University Faculties and Health Professions (CoD),
and the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery (Australia
& New Zealand) (CDNM(ANZ)).
“AACN is pleased to join
with our colleagues from around the world to focus on
nursing education’s future and address shared nursing
workforce concerns,” said AACN President Dr. Jean
Bartels. “By working together, academic leaders can
build nursing’s science base, ensure efficient knowledge
transfers, and enhance the educational preparation of
all nurses with the goal of providing better patient care.”
Dame Jill Macleod Clark, chair
of the UK Council of Deans of Nursing, invited members
of the four founding organizations to an inaugural meeting
in London in December 2005 to plan the creation of an
alliance to address universal nursing education concerns.
GANE representatives identified many common issues and
areas of mutual interest and collaboration. They also
discussed opportunities to share nursing knowledge and
best practices, and ways in which this new alliance could
complement the work of other international organizations
focused primarily on nursing practice rather than nursing
education.
Dame Jill said “We saw
a unique opportunity to harness the intellectual capital
and expertise of these well established nursing education
organizations and to influence professional policy and
care delivery agendas at the inaugural planning meeting
of GANE.”
As a result of the initial
planning meeting, participants developed a common set
of assumptions for the new alliance which included (1)
that the increasing complexity of the health care system
requires an improved skill base for RNs; and (2) that
RNs should be prepared at the baccalaureate-level. Agreement
was reached that GANE membership should be limited to
organizations that represent chief academic officers of
nursing programs. Group members are particularly concerned
about having an adequate future supply of nursing faculty
and see the need to focus efforts on increasing the number
of nurses prepared with master’s and doctoral degrees.
Participants also identified opportunities to collectively
strengthen academic nursing requirements, enhance the
education level of the current nursing workforce, and
reduce health care disparities.
Professor John Daly Chair
of the Council of Deans of Nursing & Midwifery (Australia
& New Zealand) said “GANE will allow unprecedented
opportunities for international collaboration to enhance
the global growth and development of sustainable, quality
professional nursing and midwifery.” He commented
that “CDNM(ANZ) is excited about these new possibilities,
and the potential for improvement in health care for all
led by nurses and midwives.”
"CASN is very pleased
to be a founding member of the newly formed Global Alliance
on Nursing Education,” said Dr. Ellen Rukholm, President
of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. “During
our initial planning meeting, we quickly identified that
we face similar challenges in our respective countries,
not the least of which is the growing shortage of appropriately
prepared nursing faculty. We also share, however, many
of the same values and goals, such as a common commitment
to university nursing education. GANE will provide us
with the opportunity to share strategies and successes,
to collaborate on specific issues, and to move the nursing
education agenda forward in the interest of healthier
citizens. We are enthusiastic about the potential we see
in this collaboration with our international colleagues."
GANE is currently planning
next steps and identifying opportunities for future meetings.
As the organizational charter and framework are refined,
GANE will seek representation from other nations seeking
to join this alliance.
The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing is the national voice for university and
four-year-college education programs in nursing. Representing
more than 585 member schools of nursing at public and
private institutions nationwide, AACN's educational, research,
governmental advocacy, data collection, publications,
and other programs work to establish quality standards
for bachelor's- and graduate-degree nursing education,
assist deans and directors to implement those standards,
influence the nursing profession to improve health care,
and promote public support of baccalaureate and graduate
nursing education, research, and practice. Web site: http://www.aacn.nche.edu.
The Canadian Association of Schools
of Nursing (CASN) is the national voice for nursing
education and nursing research and represents nursing
programs in Canada. The objectives of CASN are to lead
nursing education and nursing scholarship in the interest
of healthier Canadians. CASN speaks for Canadian nursing
education and scholarship; establishes and promotes national
standards of excellence for nursing education; promotes
the advancement of nursing knowledge; facilitates the
integration of theory, research and practice; contributes
to public policy; and provides a national forum for issues
in nursing education and research. http://www.casn.ca
The Council of Deans and Heads of
United Kingdom University Faculties and Health Professions
has 85 member universities throughout the United Kingdom.
It is the principal source in higher education of collective
views on all matters relating to education and research
for Nurses & Health Professions. It aims to respond
dynamically to the changes in the professions, and wider
developments in health services and higher education.
The Council works to maintain and enhance the quality
of Nursing and Health Professions education, and acts
as a forum for the exchange of information and good practice.
It seeks to promote and represent nursing, midwifery and
health visiting education and research through collaboration
with government departments, professional and statutory
bodies, higher education funding councils, Universities
UK, research councils, and other organisations. http://www.councilofdeans.org.uk
The Council of Deans of Nursing and
Midwifery (Australia & New Zealand) (CDNM(ANZ)),
formerly known as the Australian Council of Deans of Nursing
(ACDN), is the peak organisation that represents the Deans
and Heads of the Schools of Nursing in universities that
offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in nursing
and midwifery throughout Australia and New Zealand. Its
aims are to ensure the maintenance of quality standards
of university education for nurses and midwives, to be
the voice of tertiary education for nurses and midwives,
to lead and represent those who provide tertiary education
to nurses and midwives and to promote the public image
of nursing and midwifery. http://www.cdnm.edu.au
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