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While education, credentialing and practice for NPs vary by country, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) remains committed to supporting NPs in every country around the world.
AANP was an active member of the initial steering committee that led to the development of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse Network (NP/APNN). To this day, AANP offers assistance to those implementing the NP role.
AANP is committed to assisting multiple NPs, or nurses who work in an advanced role, by providing funding to help them attend the annual AANP national conference.
Chen began her journey as a NP in 1994 at Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, the only hospital specializing in cancer care in Taiwan. After pursuing graduate and postgraduate education in palliative care, she assisted the hospital in establishing the first collaborative palliative care team in Taiwan and worked with the team for eight years. Chen has been recognized as a Distinguished Nurse and Nurse Practitioner at her hospital, and as a Distinguished Nurse in Taipei City. She played a critical role in developing and implementing the first NP training program in Taiwan and has since given lectures at numerous hospitals to educate the health care community regarding the NP role.
In 2010, Chen assumed a leadership role equivalent to the Director of the Advance Practice Provider role in the U.S, leading her team's growth from 10 members to the current team of 50 NPs. This team is responsible for the care of over 90% of inpatients at the current hospital. She actively engages in impacting policies that concern the NP role in Taiwan and has been invited to serve on multiple advisory boards to revise policies that impact NP practice and patient access. Chen will be mentored by Kristi Acker, DNP, PhD, CRNP, and Katie Kemble, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C, AOCNP, FAANP.
Norvilaitė is a NP who is passionate about chronic disease management and preventive care in primary care in Lithuania. She is a lecturer at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, and is currently pursuing her PhD. Norvilaitė’s research areas include long-term care of patients, preservation of patients' dignity and refining the concept of home and palliative care.
Funded by the Research Council of Lithuania, she successfully implemented ‘Home Care’ within long-term care services for older adults and presented this work at the 18th European Association for Palliative Care World Congress in 2013.
Norvilaitė works with the European Commission and World Health Organization as a local expert — developing tools that inform national reform processes and policies impacting the quality of long-term care services. She participated on a team that organized two significant meetings to promote nursing’s role in Lithuania, collaborating with medical organizations to gain professional support and mutual understanding. Since launching APN education in 2015, there are more than 70 APNs and NPs in Lithuania and a thriving Lithuanian Association of Advanced Nursing Practice. Norvilaitė will be mentored by Jamesetta A. Newland, PhD, FNP-BC, DPNAP, FAANP, FAAN, and Cheryl Thaxton, DNP, MN, CPNP, FNP-BC, CHPPN, ACHPN, FPCN, FAANP.
Seidu has dedicated himself to the Ghana Health Service for almost two decades. He currently works as both a nurse manager and NP in the Sene West District Hospital in Ghana, overseeing the daily nursing and midwifery services and conducting the general outpatient departments. He also has a teaching appointment with Wisconsin International University College in Kumasi, where he provides student nurses and midwives with physiology education.
In 2023, Seidu was elected as the National Chairperson for the Nurse Practitioners Society of Ghana. He has helped train more than 200 staff members at the Kintampo Municipal Hospital to reduce the social stigma and discrimination against individuals living with HIV. He has also worked tirelessly to improve his region’s pediatric outcomes by identifying critical areas that contributed to delays in care at the hospital.
Seidu received a Presidential Award for COVID-19 Heroes and is also a four-time winner of the U.S Navy Medicine Manpower Personnel Training and Education Command Award.
The International SIG is a dynamic platform designed to provide an international exchange of ideas and insight as NPs provide care to diverse populations around the world. Many NPs are choosing to participate in volunteer opportunities and provide health care in underserved nations across the globe. This SIG will also provide a forum to discuss lessons learned in international health experiences abroad and share best practices for advanced practice nursing role development.
From the 2022 Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) Winter Meeting, Taiwanese chief nursing officer Shwu-Feng Tsay presents this three-part PRAC talk addessing:
The Your Partner in Health, the Nurse Practitioner brochure was developed by AANP to provide an overview of the NP role. It describes NPs' unique blend of nursing and medical care, their advanced education, the various services and specialties they provide and the important role NPs play in providing smarter health and lifestyle choices through cost-effective, high-quality health care.
Download brochures in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
As nurse practitioners (NPs), our unique voice and perspective was a large part of the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife celebration!
This digital, visual collection shares the activities and experiences of real NPs and APNs, who are working both here in the U.S. and internationally. Reflect on 2020 by reading their stories, from serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic to supporting the development of APN roles and performing community service abroad. You'll soon see that all around the world, NPs are stepping up to deliver health care and health education.
From humanitarian efforts to outreach leadership, AANP members are taking their expertise abroad.
Do you have your own international experience to share? Contact AANP at marketing@aanp.org.
Whether you're currently practicing overseas, planning your move or exploring global practice options, being aware of international health issues is imperative.
The following resources were compiled to help NPs interested in learning about international NP organizations and international organizations dedicated to specific health care issues.