“APN Educational Leadership for Universal Health Coverage: Collaborating towards a Regional Family Nurse Practitioner Curriculum Framework in Africa”
Background
The Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) Educational Leadership and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Framework Development Project completes the application of the Conceptual Policy Framework for Advanced Practice Nursing (Schober et al 2016). It builds on the Anglophone Africa APN over the past two years, which adopted the Conceptual Policy Framework from the outset of this project. The Framework guides and promotes a coordinated effort for policy development and implementation in the integration of Advanced Practice Nurses into the healthcare workforce. It prompts stakeholders to address key areas of APN practice including needs analysis, supportive policies, legislation and identify barriers that may pose problems for APNs as well as health service delivery to proposed populations. Family Nurse Practitioners have been identified as a workforce development priority for African Primary Health Care (PHC) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Symposium
The ICN NP/APN Network was delighted to have an Africa APN Educational Leadership and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Framework Development Symposium in collaboration with AfroPHC, Jhpiego, CGFNS & WCEA, National University of Science and Technology – NUST (Zimbabwe), Stellenbosch University (South Africa), New York University (USA) Nursing Faculties and Nurses Council of Kenya, National Nursing Association – Rwanda. This work has been initiated and coordinated by Bongi Sibanda – AfroPHC Core Team Member & Family Nurse Practitioner Representative
The objectives of the Symposium were:
- To provide participants with insights on Advanced Practice Nursing (Primary Care Focus) practice, standards, education and regulation to inform APN policy dialogue in Africa.
- To review existing APN programmes and those in development stages across Africa (guide for mentimeter questions); including the 2020 ICN guidelines for APN and State Of the World’s Nursing Report.
- To develop a work plan on The Regional Curriculum Framework for Family Nurse Practitioners based on input from key APN stakeholders.
- To identify roles of key APN stakeholders including the ICN / WHO / NursingNow / Jhpiego / WONCA Africa / AfroPHC in taking this policy dialogue forward at country/regional level.
- To establish mechanisms for effective collaboration and partnership on Advanced Practice Nursing role(s) development in academic and clinical settings.
Key outcomes of the Symposium were:
- A draft outline of the Africa FNP curriculum framework, which would be taken forward by the Framework working group in collaboration with Jhpiego and ICN NP/APN Network, and International Academy of Research and Enterprise
- A clear strategy for policy dialogue and roles to be played by key stakeholders in Africa
- A database of APN programmes to identify student and faculty support needed, inform labour markets, service delivery and portability of skills and knowledge across Africa
The Symposium was run for 3-4 hours over 27th and 28th November 2020.
- 27th November 2020 0900-1200 Central Africa Time (3 hours)
- An opening plenary
- Two panel discussions
- 28th November 2020 1600-2000 Central Africa Time (4 hours)
- Two panel discussions
- Four group discussions
- Plenary feedback
The two lectures for the opening plenary have been taped and should be viewed below.
Programme here.
See previous work done below