Ann Kurth, dean of Yale’s School of Nursing, recently spoke with YaleNews about the vital importance of nurses and midwives to healthcare systems around the globe, including in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions.
“Nurses run hospitals. They run entire health systems, yet despite their immense contributions, they don’t always get recognized for their capabilities,” said Kurth, the Linda Koch Lorimer Professor of Nursing and an expert in global health. “They are often overlooked as candidates for leadership opportunities that would enable them to contribute in an even greater way. This is simply wasteful.”
Nurses touch nearly every aspect of health care in the United States and around the globe. The World Health Organization has noted that 80% of all healthcare worldwide is delivered by nurses and midwives. In the US, the National Academy of Medicine has pointed out that improving the health system will rely on allowing nurses to practice to the full scope of their training.
“Every day, nursing has a ripple effect in the world, given how critical and central the role is to the health of individuals, families, communities, and entire nations,” Kurth added. “In a community, there are no sustainable pathways to economic prosperity without health, and there’s no health without nurses and midwives.”
Under Kurth’s leadership, the faculty of Yale Nursing produces advanced practice registered nurses (nurse practitioners and nurse midwives) who deliver cost-effective, patient-centered primary and specialty care. Through its PhD and clinical doctorate programs Yale Nursing also produces the next generation of scientists and educators. Read the full article in YaleNews.
Article written by Adam Gaber for YaleNews.