International Nurse Practitioner (NP) Resources

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.

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Meet the 2024 ambassadors:

Chiu-Hui Chen, MSc, RN, NP (Taiwan)

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.

Arūnė Norvilaitė, MSN, FNP (Lithuania)

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.

Haruna Seidu, RGN (Dip), RNP (BSc), MPH (Ghana)

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.

Congratulations to all of the AANP International Ambassadors!

• 2018: Scholastica Chibehe from Tanzania.
• 2018: Heather Henry-McGrath from Jamaica.
• 2018: Mabedi Kgositau from Botswana.
• 2018: Sibonginkosi (Bongi) Sibanda from the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.
• 2019: Fathi Al Abri from Oman.
• 2019: Bonisile Nsibandze from Eswatini.
• 2020: Maria Auxiliadora Rodrigues from Brazil.
• 2020: Gaonyadiwe Lubinda-Dube from Botswana.
• 2020: Nanako Tsukui from Japan.
• 2020: Samwel Wainaina Mwangi from Kenya.
• 2021: Joseph Kilasara from Tanzania.
• 2021: Rachel Kimani from Kenya.
• 2021: Sriyani Padmalatha Konara Mudiyanselage from Sri Lanka
• 2022: Evelyn Amoako from Ghana
• 2022: Patricija Lunežnik from Slovenia
• 2022: Wentao Zhou from Singapore
• 2023: Sandra Veronica Leyan Castillo from Chile
• 2023: Godfrey Cosma Martis Ajgaonkar from Australia
• 2023: Beatriz Rosana Gonçalves de Oliveira Toso from Brazil
• 2023: Roland van Rens from Spain
• 2024: Chiu-Hui Chen from Taiwan
• 2024: Arūnė Norvilaitė from Lithuania
• 2024: Haruna Seidu from Ghana

Learn More About the Program

International Specialty Interest Group (SIG)

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.

Discover the International SIG

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:

• Part One: The Model for Combating COVID-19
• Part Two: The Development of Home Care Nursing
• Part Three: The Future of Smart Care

View the Video

Your Partner in Health, the Nurse Practitioner

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.

Whether you're currently practicing overseas, planning your move or exploring global practice options, being aware of international health issues is imperative.

• ICN Guidelines on Advanced Practice Nursing 2020: Review the first-ever published guidelines for advanced practice nursing, which establishes advanced practice nursing roles worldwide.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Information: Find information on a variety of travel-related topics, including diseases, health and safety precautions, vaccinations and the latest edition of Yellow Book, a travel health reference.
  • CDC Travel Health Notices: Review travel notices describing both levels of risk for the traveler and recommended preventive measures to take at each level of risk. This also includes outbreak information.
• United Nations (UN): The UN is an international organization founded in 1945, currently made up of 193 Member States. Its global issues and projects include ageing, AIDS and other health matters.
• World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
  • WHO in Emergencies: The WHO Health Emergencies programme provides information on the latest crises, including WHO's work in affected countries.
  • WHO Disease Outbreak News: WHO details current health emergencies, preparedness resources and response information.

The following resources were compiled to help NPs interested in learning about international NP organizations and international organizations dedicated to specific health care issues.

Professional Organizations

• Asociacion Espanola de Enfermeria en Cardiologia (Spanish Association of Nursing in Cardiology): This is a nonprofit association made up of Spanish nurses who work in all areas of cardiology.
  
• Australian College of Nursing: The College leads nursing expertise and care through access, learning and advocacy.
• Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann/Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI): NMBI maintains the register of nurses in Ireland and provides general guidance on the nursing profession.
• Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International): CGFNS is a globally recognized authority on credentialing evaluation and verification of the education, registration and licensure of nurses, health care professionals and others worldwide.
• Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH): This group is comprised of more than 170 academic institutions and other organizations from around the world engaged in addressing global health challenges.
• Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DNOSA): DNOSA's International Relations Department builds, sustains and intensifies relations with regional and international institutions and partners.
• Global Alliance for Nursing and Midwifery (GANM): Sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the WHO Collaborating Center for Nursing Knowledge, Information Management & Sharing at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, GANM supports practice communities that cover health and development topics, which build the capacity of nurses and midwives to improve the health of communities across the lifespan.
• Global Nursing Caucus (GNC): This group aims to improve the quality, efficacy and visibility of the care delivered by the nursing community across the globe.
• International Council of Nurses (ICN)/Consejo Internacional de Enfermeras/Conseil International des Infirmières: More than 130 national nurses associations, representing the more than 20 million nurses worldwide, belong to the ICN to advance the nursing profession, promote the wellbeing of nurses and advocate for health in all policies.
• ICN NP/APNN: This group provides international expertise in education and practice, research, health policy, communications, fundraising and sponsorship and conferences.
• International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists: This group is committed to the advancement of educational standards and practices, which will advance the art and science of anesthesiology and thereby support and enhance quality anesthesia care worldwide.
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners® (NAPNAP): NAPNAP is the professional association for pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) and all pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
• National League for Nursing (NLN): This organization is comprised of 40,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members that represent nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education, health care organizations and agencies.
• The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF): This group represents more than approximately 90% of all institutions in the U.S. that offer NP programs, as well as faculty from programs in Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries.
• Nursing Organization of Valencia (Spain)/Colegio de Enfermería de Valencia (España): Un centro de referencia que proporciona acceso a la educación, investigación, publicaciones, y el conocimiento en la búsqueda de la colaboración y la mejora de la calidad en las profesiones de enfermería y una enfermera practicante.
• Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada (NPAC-AIIPC): NPAC-AIIPC is recognized as the national leader for all domains of NP practice in Canada.
• Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario (NPAO): NPAO is the professional voice for NPs in Ontario, Canada, and is dedicated to advocating for NPs to ensure accessible, high-quality health care for all.
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): OECD’s member countries work with other countries, organizations and stakeholders worldwide to address pressing policy challenges, including health and insurance.
• Royal College of Nursing, U.K.: The College represents nurses and the nursing profession, promoting excellence in practice and shaping health policies.
• Sigma: Founded in 1922 as the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma today has more than 135,000 active members from more than 100 countries.

Health Organizations

• Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet: This is an innovative internet resource that aims to inform practice and policy in Indigenous health by making research and other knowledge readily accessible. It aims to help close the gap in health between Indigenous and other Australians.
• European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG): EATG is a European network of nationally based activists representing and defending the treatment-related interests of people living with HIV and AIDS.
• Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program: This program distributes grants for advanced research and university lecturing, available to scholars from more than 155 countries.
• Global Initiative for Chronic Obstruction Lung Disease (GOLD): GOLD works with health care professionals and public health officials to raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to improve the prevention and treatment of this lung disease for patients around the world.
• God's House International: This holistic health care group acts as a vanguard for health consciousness and focuses strongly on the issues of homelessness, health promotion and disease prevention, including HIV/AIDS.
• Grounds for Health^TM: This is an international women's health care nonprofit group specializing in the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer.
• Jhpiego: In partnership with national governments, health experts and local communities, this organization builds health providers’ skills and develops systems that save lives now and guarantee healthier futures for women and their families.
• Nursing Now: In collaboration with WHO and the ICN, Nursing Now aims to raise the status and profile of nursing, to advocate for more nurses in leadership positions and to help nurses access better education and training while supporting them to share research and evidence of effective practice.
• Partners in Health (PIH®): This is a social justice organization dedicated to bringing the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair and injustice.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF): This organization is working to build a comprehensive "culture of health" by focusing on four broad areas — health systems, healthy communities, healthy children and families and leadership for better health.
• World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO): This is a federation of 110 national societies and four regional associations of gastroenterology providers, representing more than 50,000 individual members worldwide.