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Creating Nursing Leaders

A skilled nursing profession is essential to the health sector reform taking place in the new independent states (NIS) of the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Since 1992, the American International Health Alliance (AIHA) has devoted substantial resources to build capacity within the nursing profession, improve nursing care, and foster the development of a strong leadership and a comprehensive vision in these regions. Nursing task forces, technical assistance, and regional conferences and workshops, have enabled AIHA and its partners to make great strides in each of these areas as demonstrated by the following successes:

Four-year nursing degree programs were established in partnership countries;
clinical standards have been adopted at the national level;
national nursing associations have been strengthened; and
nurses have been educated at institutional levels and promoted to leadership positions in national ministries of health.

AIHA's nursing initiative has focused on preparing nurses from the NIS/CEE to serve as global leaders through strategic alliances with other international nursing organizations, including

the International Council of Nurses (ICN),
Sigma Theta Tau International (STT), and
the nursing unit of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In concert with its partners and other global nursing organizations, AIHA will continue to serve as the primary vehicle for the development of sustained nursing leadership in the NIS and CEE.