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An International Collaborative Effort to Develop a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program in Haiti

Sunday, 17 November 2013: 3:25 PM

Rebecca Ellen Heyne, DNP, RN, CPNP, CNE
Akron Children's Hospital, Akron, OH

Learning Objective 1: Identify the benefits and challenges associated with the creation of a pediatric nurse practitioner program in Haiti.

Learning Objective 2: Evaluate the effects of a collaborative partnership for developing a pediatric nurse practitioner program in Haiti.

Haiti is the third largest island in the Caribbean and has a population of 9.8 million. With an average household income of only two dollars per day, 80 percent of Haitians live in poverty. Malnutrition is responsible for half of pediatric deaths and approximately 300,000 Haitian children suffer from chronic malnutrition. Fifty percent of the children in Haiti are unvaccinated and sixty percent lack access to basic healthcare.

The purpose of this presentation is to present the process of developing an international collaboration to address a lack of access to pediatric care in Haiti. This collaboration between Akron Children’s hospital, Walsh University, Quesqueya University and St. Damien’s hospital resulted in the development of a pediatric nurse practitioner program in Haiti. The lack of access to pediatric care in Haiti prompted the development of this collaborative initiative.

The goal of this collaboration is two-fold. The initial goal is to educate pediatric nurse practitioners who would start clinics to increase access to care in the rural areas. The clinics would serve as a method to treat minor illness, referral to acute care when appropriate and assist with continuity of care. The second goal of this collaboration is to put in place a mechanism to empower Quesqueya University and St. Damien’s hospital to maintain the nurse practitioner program and nurse practitioner run clinics independently. Challenges and benefits of utilizing an international collaborative approach to development of a program to address lack of access to pediatric healthcare in Haiti will be discussed.

See more of: Global Collaborative Partnerships to Improve Maternal-Child Health
See more of: Oral Paper & Poster: Clinical Sessions