WASHINGTON, D.C., January 18, 2006 - Four of the world's leading nursing education organizations have established a new alliance to improve patient care through nursing education and ensure a robust global supply of highly educated nurses. Formed in December 2005, the Global Alliance on Nursing Education (GANE) includes representatives from Australia & New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States who are committed to enhancing the educational preparation of registered nurses (RNs), expanding opportunities for nursing education, and addressing student enrollment concerns, including the growing shortage of nurse faculty. GANE members include the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), the Council of Deans and Heads of United Kingdom University Faculties and Health Professions (CoD), and the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery (Australia & New Zealand) (CDNM(ANZ)).
“AACN is pleased to join with our colleagues from around the world to focus on nursing education's future and address shared nursing workforce concerns,” said AACN President Dr. Jean Bartels. “By working together, academic leaders can build nursing's science base, ensure efficient knowledge transfers, and enhance the educational preparation of all nurses with the goal of providing better patient care.”
Dame Jill Macleod Clark, chair of the UK Council of Deans of Nursing, invited members of the four founding organizations to an inaugural meeting in London in December 2005 to plan the creation of an alliance to address universal nursing education concerns. GANE representatives identified many common issues and areas of mutual interest and collaboration. They also discussed opportunities to share nursing knowledge and best practices, and ways in which this new alliance could complement the work of other international organizations focused primarily on nursing practice rather than nursing education.
Dame Jill said “We saw a unique opportunity to harness the intellectual capital and expertise of these well established nursing education organizations and to influence professional policy and care delivery agendas at the inaugural planning meeting of GANE.”
As a result of the initial planning meeting, participants developed a common set of assumptions for the new alliance which included (1) that the increasing complexity of the health care system requires an improved skill base for RNs; and (2) that RNs should be prepared at the baccalaureate-level. Agreement was reached that GANE membership should be limited to organizations that represent chief academic officers of nursing programs. Group members are particularly concerned about having an adequate future supply of nursing faculty and see the need to focus efforts on increasing the number of nurses prepared with master's and doctoral degrees. Participants also identified opportunities to collectively strengthen academic nursing requirements, enhance the education level of the current nursing workforce, and reduce health care disparities.
Professor John Daly Chair of the Council of Deans of Nursing & Midwifery (Australia & New Zealand) said “GANE will allow unprecedented opportunities for international collaboration to enhance the global growth and development of sustainable, quality professional nursing and midwifery.” He commented that “CDNM(ANZ) is excited about these new possibilities, and the potential for improvement in health care for all led by nurses and midwives.”