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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 continues to provide support for the NP/APNN and 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.
Dr. Gaonyadiwe Dube is a family NP (FNP) and has been a nurse educator at the University of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana, since 2008. As a faculty member in the School of Nursing (SON), she teaches undergraduate and graduate health assessment and the NP specialty courses for those who specialize in FNP. She has served as the Master of Nursing Sciences (MNSc) Program Coordinator for all advanced practice nursing tracks — including NP (FNP) and clinical nurse specialist (adult-gerontology, critical care, community health, psychiatric mental health, pediatrics and advanced midwifery) — since 2017, with the role of monitoring and overseeing the master’s program offerings and assisting students from registration to completion. She also led the MNSc curriculum reviews and revisions, including FNP, for the approval process by the National Qualifications Authority. Dr. Dube holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing from the University of Cape Town and a Master of Nursing Science (FNP) degree and bachelor's degree in Nursing Sciences from University of Botswana. She has been the faculty counselor for the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Tau Lambda chapter for Botswana since 2018. Her role is to organize yearly STTI scientific and business meetings for the Tau Lambda for Botswana and to participate in membership recruitment drives. She has also been an organizing member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Conference for International Postgraduate Research. She is currently a member of the seventh Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana (NMCB) and represents the nurse specialists, which is the designation for all advanced practice nurses in Botswana. Clinically, she started a community health and wellness mobile clinic for Gabane, a community in rural Botswana; however, the program has been temporarily halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Samwel Wainaina Mwangi is a registered Community Health nurse/clinical NP and BSCN(s) with vast experience in national, regional and international leadership and policy development, as well as vast experience in tuberculosis (TB) care management and clinical nursing. He is a Fellow of the Global Nursing Leadership Institute in Geneva and Co-chair of the ICN NP/APNN Health Policy Subgroup. He is Chair of the National Nurses Association of Kenya journal, publicity and recruitment committee. Alongside this, he was recently nominated as African Forum for Primary Health Care-APN Coalition country contact person for Kenya and participated in a 2018 high-level Africa APN coalition World Health Organization (WHO) proposal. Mwangi is also a reliable and highly skilled professional with recognized ability and a proven track record of accomplishment in delivering high standards of health care as a certified TB and HIV mentor, certified family planning mentor and team leader. He has demonstrated authority, responsibility and accountability for the delivery of health care services and is currently involved in various projects at community level. Mwangi is the first AANP ambassador from Kenya.
Maria Auxiliadora Rodrigues is a policy auditor and manager for nurses and advanced practice nurses. She is also a nurse inspector, approved by public tender, of the Nurse Council in the state of Rio de Janeiro, working on ethical evaluation, adequate human resources, qualification of professionals and the nursing process. Currently, Rodrigues has a political and social position, working as Under Secretary of Primary Health Care in the county of São Gonçalo, the second largest population of inhabitants and nursing professionals in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Rodrigues is a doctoral student in Care Science at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her doctoral studies focus on telenursing for the elderly in the home care setting. In her master’s degree program, Rodrigues completed a research study about the quality of care offered to elderly people in long-term institutions. The published data had a great impact on the Brazilian health care organizations and health care professionals.
Upon graduation nine years ago from the first critical care NP course in Japan, Tsukui spent two years at Tokyo Bay Urayasu-Ichikawa Medical Center, where she continued her NP education from physicians who practiced with NPs in the United States. Tsukui was grateful for this opportunity, as Japan does not currently recognize the NP role, and NPs often practice with no prescribing authority under the direction of a physician. After working as an NP in the neurosurgery ward, Tsukui moved from one hospital to the next — 14 in total within four years — working as a general NP in medium-sized hospitals in remote areas and regions of Japan where there is a shortage of doctors, uneven distribution of doctors and medical depopulation. Tsukui currently works in general internal medicine on a ward for COVID-19 patients and will be working toward her PhD to study the role of NPs in remote areas.
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.
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.
This brochure is available to order in several languages, including:
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.
The Nurse Practitioner Association of Nova Scotia (NPANS), in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), is hosting the 11th annual ICN Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network Conference 2021, with more than 1,000 advanced practice nurses, researchers, educators, administrators, policymakers and students expected to attend.
When: August 29–September 1, 2021
Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada