AMPATH Nurses Lead the Way in Multinational Collaboration
AMPATH Global nurse leaders
Nurses are leading the way, as they so often do, to improved patient care by working together across all four AMPATH Global partnership locations to identify common challenges, share expertise and support each other.
“We’re all nurses,” said Robin Toft Klar, DNSc, RN, FAAN, clinical professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, who works with the AMPATH Ghana partnership. “We share similar nursing education and practice strengths, weaknesses, and understanding of how these huge systems, academia and health care systems, work. If we never share our ‘stories’ we will never be able to identify and then begin to work on the next level of nursing education and health care initiatives to ultimately improve the health for all.”
AMPATH Global Nursing Conference
NYU Grossman School of Medicine is the lead AMPATH Consortium institution in the AMPATH Ghana partnership working with Tamale Teaching Hospital and the University for Development Studies in Tamale, Ghana.
Following the AMPATH Global Nursing Conference in May 2024, nurses from throughout the AMPATH Global partnership joined a working group that meets on a monthly basis via Zoom. “The AMPATH Global Nursing working group is a very versatile movement with expert nurses from academia, research and clinical practice settings,” said Faith Muthoki Sila, MSN, clinical nurse education manager and acting clinical governance manager at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, one of the lead partners in AMPATH Kenya. “The members are extremely passionate about global health and embody its attributes. It is mind-blowing how distinguished professors interact with bedside nurses from across borders and different cultures.”
The group meets every second Thursday of the month with an average attendance of 20 members. Each partnering location has its collaborative nursing projects, but the group is also focusing on identifying areas of shared interest, such as advanced practice nursing and simulation, as well as collaborative opportunities between AMPATH partners in Ghana, Kenya, Mexico and Nepal, and AMPATH Consortium partners at universities around the world.
Sila cited improvements in knowledge, confidence, research skills and infrastructure as some areas where Kenyan nurses have benefitted from the AMPATH nursing collaboration. Notable improvements in patient outcomes have been observed following collaborative training and mentorship in areas such as wound care, neuroscience nursing, simulation faculty development and infection prevention and control.
Nurses from throughout AMPATH Global partnerships met at the first nursing conference in Kenya last year.
“Some of our nursing needs and interests are global and we are learning from each other on what works best in different global settings,” said Jane von Gaudecker, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAES, associate professor at the Indiana University (IU) School of Nursing. IU is the secretariat or administrative lead for AMPATH Global. Dr. von Gaudecker is the liaison from IU to the AMPATH Global nursing and co-leads the nursing working group with Sila.
“The mutual respect in interactions and unwavering support of the members is one reason I will login for the monthly meetings without fail. The working group has attracted a range of innovative projects, increasing the number of active participants,” added Sila. “Our goal for 2025 is to launch at least one collaborative project that involves all AMPATH Global sites, deepening our partnerships and reinforcing our shared mission.”
In addition to the knowledge exchange with her global colleagues, Bhawana Regmi, M.Sc., wants to represent the nurses of Nepal and bring attention to the unique challenges and opportunities they face. Regmi is assistant professor in the Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing at Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences and nurse manager in an intensive care unit at Dhulikhel Hospital. The hospital and university lead the AMPATH Nepal partnership with the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai as the lead partner for the AMPATH Consortium.
“As Nepal is resource-limited country, resource sharing can be a very important area for this collaboration including sharing of evidence-based guidelines, online courses, and training modules as well as donation of essential medical equipment, supplies, and technology to improve patient care,” Regmi added.
Another active member of the working group is Julie Zuniga, PhD, RN, FAAN, interim director for the Center for Global Nursing and Health at AMPATH partner The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). She is involved in both the AMPATH Kenya and AMPATH/MAPAS México partnership. UT Austin is the lead consortium partner for AMPATH México working with Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Puebla, Mexico.
“I feel so lucky to be part of AMPATH. I have had the opportunity to meet and work with amazing nurses from all over,” said Dr. Zuniga, who also serves on the AMPATH México diabetes working group. “When I became a nurse, I knew I wanted to work in global health and I wasn’t sure how that would happen. I jumped at the chance to be part of it. When I met the nurses on my first trip to Kenya, I thought, ‘Now there are my people.’”
BUAP School of Nursing and UT School of Nursing have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding and have plans to collaborate with AMPATH/MAPAS México partners to design and test community-based diabetes interventions. “The BUAP School of Nursing is well-known for its research and care in diabetes. Some exciting opportunities are coming in the future!” said Dr. Zuniga.
Dr. Klar added: “The movement of improving care for people in Ghana has already begun with a greater awareness of how we here at AMPATH Ghana can collaborate with other AMPATH locations. We are learning about similar nursing and health care issues at other sites and are working to develop possible practice and research collaborations.”
The nursing working group has already facilitated AMPATH educational exchanges between nursing students from Moi University who travelled to UT and IU last year. Conversely, students from UT and IU also spent time in Kenya. Bidirectional educational exchange is a foundation part of the AMPATH model. “Reciprocity is embedded in AMPATH’s core principles and serves as its driving force and lifeline for continued growth and success,” said Sila. Several faculty exchanges between AMPATH partners have already occurred or are planned.
“By integrating global expertise with local insights, AMPATH effectively addresses healthcare challenges in countries like Nepal,” added Regmi. “Its emphasis on health equity ensures that underserved populations receive quality care, while its focus on research and education fosters the development of advanced, evidence-based medical practices. This model not only enhances healthcare delivery but also builds local capacity, making it particularly advantageous for improving health outcomes and strengthening healthcare systems in Nepal.”
Dr. von Gaudecker shared that the group is already planning the next AMPATH Global Nursing Conference, which is potentially scheduled for 2026. The group is excited about this incredible opportunity to meet colleagues from around the world in person, as well as to network and share knowledge.
“As passionate global health nurses, we learn and grow through bilateral exchange opportunities,” Dr. von Gaudecker said. “We take immense pride in our teamwork and our commitment to sharing knowledge and building capacity. The impact we make in our patients' lives is significant. The continued success of our nursing initiatives depends on sustained support, which will allow us to reach more individuals in need and positively affect their health.”