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.

Learn More About the Program

---

Meet the 2022 ambassadors:

Evelyn Amoako, BSN, RN, MPH (Ghana)

Evelyn is the Deputy Director of Nursing Services responsible for Public Health at the St. Dominic Hospital, Akwatia. She has thirteen years experience of practicing nursing mostly in the districts and rural areas. She holds a BSc Nursing Degree from the University of Ghana and a Master of Public Health from KIT Royal Tropical Institute and the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam specializing in Health Systems’ Policy and Management. In 2017, Evelyn was awarded the Mandela Washington Fellowship under the U.S. Government’s Young African Leadership Programme. In 2019, she led the team that collaborated with the School of Nursing and Midwifery to organize the 2nd LeadNurse Africa Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Conference at the University of Ghana, Legon.

She is a Preceptor for the MSc Advanced Nursing Practice Programme for the University of Cape Coast as well as other student nurses. In this role, she mentors MSc student nurses on clinical rotation, facilitates and supports them to acquire new clinical competencies and achieve clinical objectives. She is a licenced SafeCare Quality Improvement Facilitator who supports healthcare facilities in resource-limited setting to improve through capacity building, mentoring, innovation and use of context-specific solutions. She is the Eastern Regional Co-ordinator for the NCHS/ Novo Nordisk Base of Pyramid Diabetes Project and also serves as a co-chief editor for St. Dominic Today, a quarterly news bulletin from the St. Dominic Hospital.

She has interests in nursing education, HIV, cervical cancer prevention and stigma-related issues. She hopes to pursue her PhD and teach at the University.

---

Patricija Lunežnik (Slovenia)

Patricija is a 25-year-old registered nurse from Maribor, the second-largest city in Slovenia. She considers herself an optimistic, motivated, and mindful person who likes new challenges at work and in life. She is very sociable and communicative, and enjoys meeting new people.

Patricija finished her undergraduate study at the University of Maribor Faculty of Health Sciences and became a registered nurse in September 2019. During her undergraduate study, she participated in three student research projects, an international project European Junior Leadership Academy (EJLA), and a three-month Erasmus+ student exchange at the University of Edinburgh. She also acted as a vice-dean for student affairs, which was a connection between faculty leaders and students. Patricija received valuable experiences and additional knowledge, for which I am very grateful.

After the diploma, Patricija applied to postgraduate study at the same faculty and got employed at Health Centre Maribor. First, she was employed as a Registered Nurse at a Health promotion center. Currently, she is employed as a registered nurse at family practice offices. At the same time, she is in an educational process to become a specialized nurse for supervising patients with chronic illnesses.

In September 2021, Patricija obtained a Master of Science degree in Management in health and social organizations. After that, she applied to a doctorate program and got university funding to cover my tuition fee. Therefore, she is now a first-year PhD student at the University of Maribor Faculty of Health sciences. Her field of research is advanced nursing practice for chronic illnesses management, and her goal is to write guidelines on how the ANP role could be implemented in family practice offices in Slovenia. It is a very relevant topic because Slovenia does not have ANP in practice. In the school year 2021/22, the first generation of students entered a program for ANP for chronic illnesses management. Patricija envisions her involvement in the development of ANP in Slovenia in researching the implementation of ANP in practice.

---

Wentao Zhou, APN, PhD (Singapore)

Associate Professor at Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (ALCNS), National University of Singapore (NUS).

Associate Professor Zhou is a neuroscience Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), she is practice at Singapore National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) to look after patients with neuro-disability conditions, particularly patients with Parkinson’s disease and stroke. She has been practicing as an APN since 2008, she worked as neuro-intensive care APN from 2008 till 2016 and moved on to focus on neuro-community care since 2017 to develop community APN practice model.

She is the programme director for Master of Nursing programme at ALCNS NUS, which is the only accredited master programme provides the APN training in Singapore. She has led the programme since 2015 and implemented 2 major curriculum revision to ensure APN training is aligned with the ever-changing Singapore healthcare needs. She has been also activity engaged by Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) to initiate and drive for APN development, one of the successes is development and implement of the National Collaborative Prescribing Programme (NCPP) to enable APNs with prescribing right, which allows them to practice on top of their APN licences.

She is also holding the position as the director for continuing education and training (CET) at ALCNE NUS to drive the continuing professional development for nursing professionals in Singapore. This has been an emphasis from MOH to better prepare the future healthcare providers’ workforce to drive for affordable, accessible, and high quality of care. The CET programmes are focusing on strategic training to maintain populational health and innovative ways to care for population with chronic diseases. In addition, she is also working collaboratively with other professionals and faculties to co-design training programmes to look at trainings to enhance the nurses’ abilities and competencies to participate care practices and develop innovative care services for sustainable health and ensure care provided are friendly to mankind.

---

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 Zhoufrom Singapore

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.