Community of Practice for Nursing: connecting nurses in the Region of the Americas.

Objective: to analyze the use profile and content of the messages posted in the Community of Practice for Nursing in the Region of the Americas of the Pan American Health Organization as a tool intended to share experiences, knowledge and opportunities for nurses.

Methods: a descriptive and qualitative study aimed at analyzing the messages posted in the Community of Practice forums. The data were analyzed by content analysis.

[Strengthening doctoral programs in nursing based on health care needsFortalecimento dos programas de doutorado em enfermagem com base nas necessidades de saúde].

This article aims to analyze and contextualize the training of nurses at the postgraduate level, and to present strategic orientations to expand their doctoral education in Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper presents strategies to advance the potential of nurses' contribution to health systems and the development of scientific competencies through postgraduate studies-at the doctoral level-with emphasis on cooperation and internationalization, training aligned with the health needs of the population, transfer of knowledge to practice and sustainability of actions. Nurses are well positioned to act as researchers, faculty members and leaders, and to contribute to the development of more effective strategies for future actions and policies that are required by health systems.

The role of nurses in implementation of public policy on adolescent health in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Background: In Latin America, interventions aimed at adolescents' health suffer from a shortfall of investment and lack of sustainability. Nurses, as an integral part of health services and systems, can lead the implementation and development of public health policies to improve adolescent health.

Objective: To identify and analyze the role of nurses in the development and implementation of public policies and in the provision of health care to adolescents in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

[The role of nursing professionals in the development and care of adolescent health in HondurasPapel dos profissionais de enfermagem no desenvolvimento e na atenção à saúde de adolescentes em Honduras].

Objective: Identify and analyze the role of nursing professionals in the development and care of adolescent health in Honduras, by analyzing the curricular content of the training provided to nursing students with respect to adolescent health, and by studying policies on adolescent health.

Methods: Mixed methods study, with a sequential explanatory approach, carried out from May to July 2023 through surveys of nursing schools, analysis of policy documents, a survey with nursing professionals, and a focus group. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data, applying the theoretical framework of Walt and Gilson.

[Health policy dialogue to strengthen nursing in UruguayDiálogo político-sanitário para o fortalecimento da enfermagem no Uruguai].

This article presents the experience of the health policy dialogue on nursing held in Uruguay in 2021, based on the theory of change. Four working groups were held, with the participation of 725 people. The points discussed included: the shortage of registered nurses to implement programs and cover functions at all levels of health care; the poor visibility of the healthcare impact of the activities carried out; insufficient financial resources for undergraduate and postgraduate training; and poor integration of nurses in management teams and policy decision-making spaces in the country.

[The importance of a gender focus in building resilient, equitable, and universal health systemsA importância da abordagem de gênero no desenvolvimento de sistemas de saúde resilientes, equitativos e universais].

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic demonstrated the need to strengthen the focus on gender from an integrative and multisectoral perspective to address health care problems. This article seeks to highlight the importance of incorporating and strengthening the gender focus in policies for building resilient, equitable, and universal health care systems. With this objective in mind, the role of women in the health sector is addressed from two directions.

Concepts and issues related to adolescent health in nursing education.

Objective: analyze the structure of teaching programs and contents of the adolescent health and its development in nursing education.

Method: descriptive observational study conducted in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Data was collected by the Instrument for (self-)evaluation of the adolescent health and development component in undergraduate nursing programs, and investigated using descriptive statistics.

Perspectives for Advanced Practice Nursing in Brazil.

This is a reflective study aiming to analyze the implementation of Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) and provide perspectives regarding the role of these professionals in the Region of the Americas, particularly in Brazil. Several countries in the world have introduced advanced nursing roles to improve quality of care and reduce health care costs. However, these roles have not been fully implemented in Latin American countries, although some countries have held advanced discussions about it and proposed graduated courses.

Nursing engagement in research priorities focused on health systems and services in Latin America countries.

Background: A strong nursing research agenda in Latin America is fundamental to universal health coverage. Nursing science can make important contributions to the health of Latin American people through knowledge generation that directly informs nursing practice, professional education, and health policy.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey design to assess nursing involvement in health systems and services research in Latin America in five priority areas: Policies and education related to nursing human resources; Structure, organization and dynamics of health systems and services; Science, technology, innovation, and information systems in public health; Health policies, governance, and social control; and Social studies in the health field.

[Interprofessional health education in the Region of the Americas from a nursing perspectiveEducação interprofissional em saúde na Região das Américas na perspectiva da enfermagem].

This study presents a reflective analysis of the implementation of interprofessional education in undergraduate nursing courses, considering as an example the curricula of undergraduate nursing careers in Brazil. Despite investments to advance interprofessional education, its practice is not institutionalized in the curricula of undergraduate courses. These findings represent a limitation for the implementation of interprofessional education in nursing courses, and the case of Brazil allows to learn lessons for the education of nursing professionals in other countries of the Region of the Americas.

The use of an electronic medication organizer device with alarm to improve medication adherence of older adults with hypertension.

Objective: To examine whether the use of a monthly electronic medication organizer device equipped with an alarm clock, called Electronic System for Personal and Controlled Use of Medications (Supermed), improves medication adherence of older adults with hypertension.

Methods: This is a quali-quantitative, prospective, before-and-after study performed with 32 older adult patients with diagnosis of hypertension, who were recruited at a Primary Care Unit in Brazil.

Results: The main outcome measures were improvement of medication adherence and blood pressure control after intervention with Supermed.

Regulation of nursing practice in the Region of the Americas.

Objective: To describe and analyze the current nursing regulations across countries in the Region of the Americas.

Methods: A country comparative analysis was carried out by gathering information from the ministries of health, nursing schools, councils, associations, and boards in 2018. The main categories evaluated were type of regulatory bodies, requirements for initial professional registration, and registration renewal.

[Skill mix of nurses and primary health care professionals: a systematic review].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy of skill mix of nurses and other health care professionals in primary health care.

Methods: Systematic review of the literature aligned with the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), including observational and intervention studies. No restrictions were established for period or country of publication; studies published in Spanish, English and Portuguese were included.

Strengthening universal health: development of a nursing and midwifery education quality improvement toolkit.

Objective: to present the development of a toolkit for education quality improvement in universal health and primary health care, targeting schools of nursing and midwifery in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Methods: an expert work group conducted a systematic literature review, selected key content and completed toolkit drafting, using an iterative consensus approach. International partners reviewed the toolkit.

Maternal health training priorities for nursing and allied health workers in Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Objective: To assess maternal health training priorities for primary care human resources for health (HRH) in nursing and allied health workers in Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua, to inform maternal care HRH strategic planning efforts.

Methods: This Washington, D.C.

[Distribution of the nursing workforce in the Region of the AmericasDistribuição de pessoal de enfermagem na Região das Américas].

Objective: Describe the distribution of the nursing workforce in countries of the Region of the Americas and the relation between the number of human resources in nursing and maternal mortality ratios.

Methods: Descriptive and exploratory analysis of 27 countries of the Region. The variables in the study were the proportion of health professionals per country and subregion; professional category; and nurse-to-physician ratio.