Newswise — Hamilton, ON (Apr. 29, 2011) – Anita Fisher, an associate professor with McMaster University’s School of Nursing (SON), is leading the way for Canada in efforts to rebuild nursing education in Haiti since last year’s devastating earthquake.
Fisher presented at the Partnerships to Enhance Nursing Education in Haiti conference in April in New York City. She represented the only Canadian university in attendance and gave an overview of its near 20-year involvement with Haiti. This two-day meeting of representatives from several universities, along with 14 Haitian nursing officials, was to coordinate efforts of North American nursing schools to plan and support nursing education in Haiti.
A grant in October from the Canadian government allowed the SON, in partnership with University Hospital School of Nursing in Haiti, the Haitian Nurses’ Association (ANIHL) and the Hopital Universitaire de La Paix (HUP) in Port-au-Prince, to support joint Canada-Haiti academic projects to build capacity of academic institutions, provide opportunities for Haitians to resume studying and enhance their skill sets.
To that end, Fisher visited Haiti last fall to better understand nurses’ concerns and determine how the SON could aid nursing development at the three organizations. She said Haitian nurse leaders want a four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BScN) required for entry to practice and that McMaster could provide support for this given its role in developing the program in Canada.
In January, two Haitian nursing students visited McMaster to describe their fellow students’ needs and learn about health care in Canada. A visit to Hamilton, Ont. by four Haitian nurses and one senior administrative official is planned for June.
“We need to look at the standards for nursing education across Haiti,” said Fisher. “Bringing Haitian nurses from each level promotes understanding of their needs and where we can help. Working hand-in-hand with these nurses to develop their BScN curriculum, we can help them develop as a teaching institution and improve the level of patient care at the hospital level.”
RSS