International Development,
Global Health & The RCN
Welcome & Introduction
Kath McCourt
Committee members
Kath McCourt CBE
FRCN, Chair
Paula Hancock, Vice
Chair
Cecilia Anim
Andrew Clarke
Committee members
Alan Finnegan
Monika Kosińska
Judith Malan
Andrea Spyropolous
Rachel Trencher
International Purpose

Represent interests of and
strengthen status of nursing
profession internationally

Enhance patient care by
improving professional policy
and practice internationally

Improve the health of
communities internationally by
working with nursing
organisations to better shape
health policies.
Outside the ZUNO offices in Kabwe
Global Health Advocacy
Human Resources for Health
Judith Malan
HISTORY
 Development
of nursing and resulting
migration
 International recognition
 Brain drain (Push and pull factors)
 Improving Health Care
 Aging populations
Future actions
 Highlight
importance of human resources for
health within the post 2015 international
development agenda
 Build networks with others, and develop as
post 2015 development framework
emerges.
 Nursing press awareness
Sustainability and Development
 Migration
will always be a feature of health
provision, and does have an impact on
global scale.
 Global shortage of nurses will fuel the need.
 Supporting strategies and developing
practises to improve retention and reduce
migration can improve situation, but won’t
eradicate need for migration.
Conclusion
 Global
workforce planning and development
is the most proactive and sustainable way to
ensure that healthcare can be delivered
everywhere.
 Lessons can be learned from all parts of the
globe, but requires strong networks and
regular dialogue to ensure that learning is
embraced and applied.
Zambia partnership
Andrew Clarke
What we’re doing
Developing a partnership with the Zambia Union of
Nurses Organisation (ZUNO)
Strengthening ZUNO as a national nursing
association to promote good practice (eg theatre
nursing)
This is Zambia
Why Zambia and ZUNO?
International Committee recommended a National Nursing
Association (NNA) partnership
Understanding the role of the RCN
• What’s appropriate?
• What’s not?
Who to work with?
• Looked at counties struggling to meet Millennium
Development Goals
• Matched against criteria – language, stability, governance
• Interested and able to engage and collaborate
Actions so far
Exploring needs – visiting ZUNO in Zambia
Understanding existing capacity and style
Understanding the context and opportunities to support
strengthen the functioning of ZUNO as a NNA
Theatre nursing identified as an area where together we
could make a difference
Proxy for strengthening ZUNO’s capacity to be more
effective
Why look at theatre nursing?
• Zambia won’t achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5...
• Safer surgery can contribute to that and is a national issue
• Trained theatre nurses have good skills...
• But they don’t always use them
• ZUNO has a theatre nurse interest group...
• But has not had the capacity to help them develop
• Nurses have low status and low power...
• But they are the biggest group of health care professionals
• Nurses are crucial to improving health outcomes...
• But need support to mobilise and realise their potential to
influence and effect change
Next steps
Agree a memorandum of understanding
Develop a pilot project - with clear roles for both partners and
realistic Outcomes and Indicators to track progress
The pilot will have two strands of work:
• Supporting ZUNO capacity to mobilise nurses, support
the improvement of clinical standards and patient safety,
and influence national and local policy,
• Leadership and influencing skills of theatre nurses to
enable adherence to national minimum theatre nursing
standards
Banjeleleko!
Thanks for listening
Facilitating International Engagement
through Volunteering
Paula Hancock
Members volunteer in many
ways.....
 Through
employer co-ordinated health
partnerships
 Working with NGO’s
 Through Diaspora
 Professional, community or faith groups
 Independently
RCN - committed to developing nursing
internationally
RCN – supporting members
through....
 Providing
advice to those seeking to work or
volunteer outside the UK
 International volunteering events
 Managing a virtual international
humanitarian community
 Working in partnership with VSO, THET and
other international partners
The International Nurse of the
Year 2013 - Cerdic Hall
Barriers to international
volunteering
 Lack
of funding
 Securing volunteers pension
 Back filling key staff posts
 Demonstrating benefits to employers
 Security for volunteers
 Training and preparation for the work
 Preparation and assimilation on return to UK
RCN working with other
stakeholders

Member of NHS Overseas Volunteering Working Group
which brings together government, employers, professional
groups, volunteering NGO’s

Member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
International Forum: joint “Volunteering Statement”

Invited to submit information to the All Party Parliamentary
Group on Global Health Inquiry on Volunteering
Issues to be addressed....
 There
is a need for
– Consistency for giving time out for volunteers
– Formal recognition of volunteering and tools to facilitate
this
– Collaboration and co-ordination of volunteering
– Monitoring, evaluation and research of volunteering
activities
– Information, training and support of volunteers
– additional expenditures and loss of employment
entitlements for volunteers to be addressed
Finally....the RCN is committed to
 Promoting
international volunteering
 Supporting
its members who want to work
outside the UK
 Uphold
it’s Royal Charter and meet its
Strategic intensions
Q&A