UHM Nursing Hosts Leaders from the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands
The University of Hawaii at Manoa Nursing (UH Manoa Nursing) Global Health Program hosted the 36th American Pacific Nursing Leaders Council (APNLC) meeting from June 16 to 20, 2014, in Honolulu, Hawaii. APNLC is an organization established in 1978 to promote communication, collaboration, and capacity-building among nursing and midwifery leaders of the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. APNLC member jurisdictions include American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap), Guam, Hawaii, Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Director of the UH Manoa Nursing Global Health Program, Dr. Kristine Qureshi, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Associate Professor Dr. Alice Tse, PhD, APRN, organized the meeting. Attendees included:
- 52 senior chief nurses, educators, and other nursing leaders from the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands.
- Students, faculty, and staff from UH Manoa Nursing and UH Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine.
- Clinical nurse specialists from Tripler Army Medical Center and The Queen’s Medical Center.
- Government officials from the U.S. Public Health Service and Tripler Army Medical Center.
The theme of the meeting, ”Nursing Leadership and Engagement in Response to the Non-Communicable Disease Crisis in the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands” focused on building shared knowledge and best practices relative to prevention and management of populations with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Interactive presentations focused on evidence-based practice for nursing care of people with T2D were provided by a variety of experts from UH Manoa Nursing, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Tripler Army Medical Center, and The Queen’s Medical Center.
The U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands report some of the highest prevalence rates of T2D in the world. The APNCL meeting provides an opportunity for nurses and healthcare professionals to exchange knowledge and improve capacity for education. Nursing constitutes the largest segment of the healthcare workforce in the region. UH Manoa Nursing Global Health Program Director Dr. Qureshi said, “what was learned at this meeting will be taken back to the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands and will influence nursing practice for the prevention, detection, and management of Type 2 Diabetes in the region.”
Citizens of U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands have free passage to the U.S. and when here, often receive healthcare services. Quality care for those with T2D lessens the impact on Hawaii and other U.S. states that provide tertiary care services for U.S. Affiliated Pacific Island citizens. UH Manoa Nursing Dean Dr. Mary G. Boland, DrPH, RN, FAAN, said “UH Manoa Nursing continues to maintain our commitment to providing leadership and serving as a resource for nursing throughout Asia and the Pacific Basin.”
The next annual American Pacific Nursing Leaders Council (APNLC) meeting will be held in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia from June 15 to 19, 2015.