FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 June 2009
CONTACT:
Rachael McLaughlin, Director
Marketing and Communications
Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International
Rachael@stti.iupui.edu
317.634.8171
The Honor Society of Nursing and the World Health Organization release nursing & midwifery education standards
Indianapolis – The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) and the World Health Organization (WHO), along with more than 30 other international health care leaders, have released “Global Standards for the Initial Education of Professional Nurses and Midwives,” a comprehensive guide outlining international standards for basic nursing and midwifery education that address patient safety and quality of care issues within the field.
With an estimated 35 million people employed as nurses and midwives, these recommendations are vital to positive patient outcomes.
“Global Standards for the Initial Education of Professional Nurses and Midwives” identified essential components of education. The goal of the standards is to establish educational criteria and assure outcomes that:
- Are based on evidence and competency;
- Promote the progressive nature of education and lifelong learning; and
- Ensure the employment of practitioners who are competent and who, by providing quality care, promote positive health outcomes in the populations they serve.
To meet these goals, five key areas for global standards have been created:
- Program graduates: Outcomes, graduate attributes,
- Program development and revision: governance, accreditation, infrastructure, and partnerships
- Program Curriculum : Curriculum design, core curriculum, partnerships and assessment of students
- Academic faculty and staff : Academic/clinical faculty and professional development of faculty
- Program admission: Admission policy and selection, student type and intake
The global standards are meant to serve as bench marks to success, with policy-makers in each country determining their own timeframes and methods for implementation of the guidelines. The standards will also help to shape educational programs and curriculum for nurses and midwives , and act as a catalyst for further education reform..
These recommendations are a result of the WHO’s resolution WHA54.12, calling for a strengthening of the profession. As a result, a conference of nurse and midwifery leaders from around the globe was conducted in December 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. During the three-day meeting, representatives from WHO Collaborating Centers, schools of nursing, nursing and midwifery associations, credentialing organizations, councils of deans and nursing alliances provided input and developed key elements for proposed standards.
To read the full paper and see the recommendations, please visit: http://www.who.int/hrh/nursing_midwifery/hrh_global_standards_education.pdf
The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide. Founded in 1922, the honor society has inducted more than 400,000 members in 86 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and others. The honor society's 469 chapters are located at 586 institutions of higher education throughout Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, the United States and Wales. More information about the honor society can be found online at www.nursingsociety.org.
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The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It was established on 7 April 1948. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO is governed by 193 Member States through the World Health Assembly. The Health Assembly is composed of representatives from WHO's Member States. The main tasks of the World Health Assembly are to approve the WHO programme and the budget for the following biennium and to decide major policy questions. More information about the WHO can be found online at www.who.int.