Announcing new project with the University of Edinburgh
IGNITE places nursing and midwifery on a global stage
A project to equip nurses and midwives to tackle global healthcare challenges has been launched at the University of Edinburgh, supported by the Burdett Trust.
The first pioneering projects of the Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative will improve care for people who use health services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Liberia and Uganda. The Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative will connect and empower nurses worldwide to share research, innovations and knowledge to improve people’s health outcomes. The project will have a focus on innovating nursing and midwifery in areas where health systems are affected by challenges such as disease outbreaks, poverty and conflict.
Professor Aisha Holloway, Head of Nursing Studies at the University of Edinburgh, said:
“The Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative will elevate and strengthen nurse and midwifery education, practice, research and influence through partnership and collaboration. It will help propel nurses and midwives as drivers of change and to help them actively contribute and lead in making a better world for all. We are proud to be part of the global push to promote the role and sphere of frontline healthcare workers”.
Three projects led by nurses and midwives in Africa will be provided through the Burdett Trust Innovative Global Nursing and Midwifery Partnership (IGNITE). Each of the partners for the three projects have longstanding links with the University of Edinburgh. Projects include developing nurse-led emergency care in two front line hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve support for women who have experienced complex sexual trauma in war.
The Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative has been welcomed by Nursing Now, which works in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Council of Nurses, to empower nurses to take their place at the heart of tackling 21st century health challenges.
Lord Nigel Crisp, Co-chair of Nursing Now, said:
“We welcome the development of the Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative. Universal health coverage will not be achieved without developing nursing globally. Nurses are the largest part of the professional health workforce. Developing nursing will have the triple impact of contributing to three of the Sustainable Development Goals – improving health, promoting gender equality, and strengthening economies.”
“The IGNITE programme provides an opportunity to strengthen approaches to support pioneering nursing and midwifery clinical practice, directly impacting on patient and population outcomes, and accelerating progress towards the World Health Organisation’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
– Shirley Baines, Chief Executive of the Burdett Trust