National nursing strategies in seven countries of the Region of the Americas: issues and impact / Estrategias nacionales de enfermería en siete países de la Región de las Américas: problemas y repercusión

ABSTRACT

Objective. To identify and examine the current national nursing strategies and policy impact of workforce development regarding human resources for health in seven selected countries in the Region of the Americas Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. Methods. A review of available literature was conducted to identify publicly-available docu¬ments that describe the general backdrop of nursing human resources in these seven countries. A keyword search of PubMed was supplemented by searches of websites maintained by Ministries of Health and nursing organizations. Inclusion criteria limited documents to those published in 2008–2013 that discussed or assessed situational issues and/or progress surrounding the nursing workforce. Results. Nursing human resources for health is progressing. Canada, Mexico, and the United States have stronger nursing leadership in place and multisectoral policies in workforce development. Jamaica shows efforts among the Caribbean countries to promote collaborative practices in research. The three selected countries in Central and South America championed networks to revive nursing education. Yet, overall challenges limit the opportunities to impact public health. Conclusions. The national nursing strategies prioritized multisectoral collaboration, profes¬sional competencies, and standardized educational systems, with some countries underscoring the need to align policies with efforts to promote nursing leadership, and others, focusing on expanding the scope of practice to improve health care delivery. While each country wrestles with its specific context, all require proper leadership, multisectoral collaboration, and appro¬priate resources to educate, train, and empower nurses to be at the forefront.