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 2023 ambassadors:

Sandra Veronica Leyan Castillo, FNP-C (Chile)

Leyan graduated from Boston College as a family NP in 2019 and became Chile’s first practicing NP. Currently working in orthopedics at Red Salud UC CHRISTUS, she has been the coordinator of the country’s first fracture liaison service since 2020. In 2022, Leyan received the Betsy McClung Travel grant from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research for her contributions caring for patients with osteoporosis. Her work includes preoperative visits to enhance patients’ recovery after surgery, and she is starting a program to prevent diabetic foot disease. Leyan is an assistant professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile within the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) master’s degree program, which is the country’s first NP program. She promotes APRN role development in Chile as a board member of Chile’s first APRN professional association, where she serves as the first president. Leyan will be mentored by Jamesetta (Jamie) A. Newland, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, DPNAP, FAAN.

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Godfrey Cosma Martis Ajgaonkar, BN, MN, MNNP (Australia)

Martis Ajgaonkar is an NP in cardiology at Logan Hospital in Queensland, Australia. His love for making a difference in people's lives led him to become a nurse, while his desire for advanced knowledge led him to become an NP. Martis Ajgaonkar has been a registered nurse for the last 15 years and has practiced as an NP across Australia for the past eight years. As an NP in cardiology who has worked across tertiary, rural and remote hospital settings, his favorite workplace has been the outback — or as Australians call it, "the Bush” — working in the middle of nowhere with challenges of having minimal resources, delivering culturally safe care to First Nation people and bringing care closer to home. He is also a researcher, pursuing a higher degree in research study reviewing the role of yearly yarning about end-of-life care in First Nation people living with chronic diseases in remote communities. Martis Ajgaonkar will be mentored by Richard Riccardi, PhD, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN.

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Beatriz Rosana Gonçalves de Oliveira Toso, DSc, RN (Brazil)

Toso is an associate professor at the Western Paraná State University — UNIOESTE on the campus in Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil. She is a researcher and professor of the master's and doctoral programs in biosciences and health. Toso also teaches the nursing undergraduate course on child and adolescent health. She has teaching and research experience in the fields of pediatric nursing, primary health care and advanced practice nursing. She volunteers as the president of the Brazilian Society of Pediatric Nurses from 2022 to 2025. Toso also serves as the vice president of the Red Latino-Americana de Enfermería Práctica Avanzada (RED EPA LatinA) network with 14 countries working to promote the development of advanced practice nursing within Latin America. In 2022, she became a member of the Research Group of the International Council of Nursing. Currently, two multicentered and international research studies are being coordinated for her to develop and implement the APN role in Brazil. Toso will be mentored by Maria Kidner, DNP, APRN, FAANP.

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Roland van Rens, RN, MaANP (Spain)

Van Rens has more than 20 years of clinical experience in neonatal nursing and holds a master’s degree in advanced nursing practice from Erasmus University in the Netherlands. He has worked as an advanced neonatal NP, performing complex vascular access procedures. Van Rens has developed and delivered multi-professional educational activities and conducted clinical research in Europe and the Middle East. He served as the clinical director of nursing for the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Qatar. His research explores ways to improve neonatal care, most notably including studies on vascular access. Alongside his international research collaborators and co-authors, he has presented at international conferences and published several referred journal articles concerning neonatal vascular access, infusion therapy and related technology. Currently, he is preparing for his PhD study in the Netherlands. Van Rens will be mentored by Wakako Eklund, DNP, APRN NNNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN.

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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

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.