Planning, and Implementing International Nursing Workshops in Resource Poor Settings

Workshops connect people for global health by providing opportunities for sharing resources, the exchange of ideas and demonstration and application of skills. Planning, coordinating, and implementing international workshops can be both challenging and rewarding.  Within our collaborative partnership, the North Texas Africa Health Initiative (NTAHI) has conducted several professional nursing development workshops in Kampala at the Makerere University and at Mulago National Referral Hospital.  Near the Kenyan border, NTAHI has conducted three professional nursing development workshops at the Bududa Regional Hospital. Some key challenges the team has encountered over the years include: understanding the meaning of time, practices, and protocols within different cultural contexts, lack of time, funding, and inadequate Information Communication Technology. However, the rewards of conducting the workshops have included a high level of engagement of the participants and their continued request for us to return. Additionally the team has formed new networks, mentored novice researchers, enhanced cultural understanding, and strengthened nursing research capacity in Uganda. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the content and process used to develop and implement workshops in Uganda. The logistics, challenges, rewards, opportunities, and implications for global nursing practice will be discussed for consideration by others interested in influencing research based nursing practice in resource poor settings.