Held from May 26 through 31, Penn Nursing was the only school of nursing to send students, faculty, and staff to the international conference. The annual Global Health Council event provides a major opportunity for global health workers and policy makers to network, share research findings, and discuss solutions to the world’s biggest health challenges.

Ten Penn Nursing students were able to attend the conference, along with seven Penn Medicine students, thanks to joint funding from the School of Nursing's Office of Global Health Affairs and the School of Medicine's Office of Global Health Programs. The Penn students who attended where from all levels of the nursing program, from undergraduate to PhD candidates.

Emily Johnson, a recent graduate from the Accelerated BSN program, was surprised that Penn was the only nursing school represented among thousands of conference attendees. "I really think that nursing is the key to global health," she reflected. "I was really proud that our school gave us the opportunity to be there," which she felt was just one example of Penn Nursing’s continuing dedication to global health education.

This year marked the third year in a row that Penn Nursing has sent students to the Global Health Council meeting. Dr. Marjorie Muecke, Assistant Dean for Global Health Affairs, remarked that her office "remains perplexed at the absence of nurses from the meeting." Still, the faculty and staff at the Global Health Affairs office remain committed to sending students each year. "The meeting vividly clarifies the power of interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration" for students, Dr. Muecke explained. "They return energized and even more highly motivated in nursing than before going to the meeting."

Miss Johnson's thoughts echoed this sentiment. "Seeing the difference that older nurses were making in the world was so inspiring," she reflected. "I know that this experience will improve my practice as a nurse, no matter where in the world I end up working."

Penn Nursing's dedication to global health education was also demonstrated in the conference breakout sessions. Associate Professor Dr. Marilyn Stringer has been conducting an ongoing evaluation of student experiences in the School of Nursing's many study abroad programs. She presented her research findings at the International Health Conference in a roundtable session entitled, "Focus Group Evaluation of Study Abroad Programs." Her presentation sparked lively discussion from health educators around the country.

The School of Nursing has recently established a Minor in Global Health option for both undergraduate and graduate students; Dr. Muecke hopes that this will provide even greater opportunities for students interested in international health. "Anticipate increasing numbers and quality of student participation in the conference over time," she remarked.

For more information about the recent International Conference on Global Health, visit the Global Health Council Website: http://www.globalhealth.org/conference_2009/

For more information about the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s  Global Health Affairs program, visit: http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/gha/Pages/default.aspx 

 Photographs of students and faculty are available upon request.