The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies has received designation as a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Collaborating Centre for Nursing Human Resources Development and Patient Safety.
The designation comes after years of planning between the School of Nursing and Health Studies and PAHO, the regional office for the WHO. During that time, the school developed and implemented several independent projects in Latin America and the Caribbean designed to improve health and living standards in the region.
"Establishing a WHO Collaborating Centre at our School of Nursing and Health Studies supports the mission of the University of Miami to provide leadership to the global community in the areas of health education and health care," says President Donna E. Shalala. "By focusing on nursing workforce development, patient safety, and research, the new WHO Collaborating Centre will help to address some of the most pressing public health issues of the Western Hemisphere."
WHO Nursing Collaborating Centres, which number just 8 in the U.S. and 38 worldwide, serve as resources for nurses and other health care professionals in the promotion of global public health. Center personnel work with the WHO in its efforts to promote health development, foster health security, strengthen health systems, and enhance international partnerships.
"Addressing nursing workforce issues is a critical need for countries throughout our hemisphere," says, Nilda P. Peragallo, DrPH, RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor, who will serve as the director of the center. "We look forward to partnering with international leaders to find solutions that strengthen the nursing workforce and improve patient safety both within and beyond our borders."
Located in the M. Christine Schwartz Center for Nursing and Health Studies at UM, the WHO Collaborating Centre will work to develop an understanding of the impact that the nursing shortage and migration have on patient safety in the Caribbean and Latin America. The WHO Collaborating Centre will promote nursing education and capacity building, encouraging technological innovation to improve patient care throughout the PAHO region.
The new partnership connects UM faculty and students to health experts, data, and authoritative sources in the Americas and the Caribbean. Among the many significant projects proposed through this partnership is the creation and expansion of research partnerships, the development of collaborative doctoral courses, increasing capacity for nursing education throughout the region, and the establishment of student exchange programs.
Other planned initiatives include the integration of content on HIV/AIDS and substance abuse into undergraduate nursing curricula and the development of post-baccalaureate certification for nurses in areas ranging from HIV/AIDS and family health to anesthesia. The nursing collaborating center is the second WHO Collaborating Centre to be established at UM. In March 2008, the University of Miami Ethics Programs were designated a WHO Collaborating Centre in Ethics and Global Health Policy.
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About the School of Nursing and Health Studies
Established in 1948 as South Florida's first collegiate nursing program, the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami has a distinguished tradition of preparing nurses to provide compassionate, quality care to local, national and international communities. Nursing students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are educated by renowned scholars and exposed to a broad range of clinical experiences and cutting-edge research. In February 2005, the School expanded its program offerings to include the University of Miami's Health Science program and changed its name to the School of Nursing and Health Studies. The expanded curriculum includes programs leading to the BSN, MSN, PhD, and DNP degrees as well as the BS in Health Science degree.
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