Glauberman International Plenary Speaker for Indonesian National Nurses Association

Dr. Gary Glauberman, PhD, RN, PHNA-BC, NHDP-BC, advanced population health nursing program director and assistant professor, participated as a plenary speaker for the 3rd International Conference of Indonesian National Nurses Association (ICINNA 3). The event was held virtually over Zoom on Monday, January 24, 2022. The theme of the conference was “Integrating nursing and community to accelerate COVID-19 herd immunity.” The international conference was attended by participants from various countries such as Malaysia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and Kuwait. Participants consisted of practitioners, academics, managers, researchers, and students of nursing and other health professions.

The focus of Glauberman’s presentation was an overview summary of the current COVID-19 pandemic conditions in the U.S. and Hawaii. He honed in on the innovative ways that UHM SONDH students and faculty contributed to the community-based COVID-19 response in Hawaii. Examples discussed included nursing students’ involvement in the COVID-19 vaccination Point of Distribution (POD) operations and providing support to UHM students who were in quarantine/isolation.

Conference attendees shared how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted public health, health care, and the nursing profession in their countries. “It was fascinating to exchange knowledge with such an internationally diverse group,” said Glauberman. A major concern shared across regions was the challenges of getting people vaccinated against COVID-19, the impact of the pandemic on the mental health status of nurses, and also how to encourage more nurses to be involved in emergency preparedness planning and response. “We are experiencing many similar pressures in different parts of the world. It goes to show how nurses are truly a global community. We’re all in this together.”