Top Welsh Nurse Wins Scholarship With World Health Organisation

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 04 May 2009 - 8:00 PDT

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One of Wales' leading nurses has secured a three month scholarship with the World Health Organisation.

Dr Jean White currently occupies the position of Nursing Officer in the Welsh Assembly Government. Her remit is to provide professional advice to the Minster of Health & Social Services and Welsh Assembly Government policy colleagues and externally to the nursing profession, service and education providers, Nursing and Midwifery Council, professional organisations, trade unions and members of the public.

Dr White will spend 8 weeks at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva followed by 4 weeks at the WHO European Regional Office in Copenhagen. The scholarship will involve an intensive programme of development on global health and the work of the WHO Nursing and Midwifery Office.
Dr White said:

"The opportunity to work at the WHO Nursing and Midwifery Office will allow me to be involved in work at a global rather than national level, giving me a wider perspective on issues affecting nursing and healthcare generally. I will gain a greater understanding of the issues driving global trends in disease and insight into how health policies and health systems are evolving to deal with the challenges.

"All of the areas of work I will be involved in have direct relevance to my current role and to the work underway by Welsh Assembly Government, for example the work I will undertake to review how global changes are affecting policies should enable me to identify key factors that are of relevance to the health and social care services in Wales."

Chief Nursing Officer for Wales Rosemary Kennedy said:

"For Jean to be selected for this scholarship is a great honour and a testament to her work.

"Given that Wales, as part of the UK, is fully committed to working with the WHO and signs up to many of its declarations, this is an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of Welsh Assembly Government at WHO and the World Health Assembly."

Notes

Dr Jean White
RGN, PhD, MSc, BN, Cert Ed (FE), RNT, ENB 176

Jean White trained as a Registered General Nurse in Swansea and on qualifying worked in a number of hospitals in Wales and London. In 1988 she moved into nurse education, eventually joining University of Wales Swansea, when nurse education moved into higher education. Jean has held appointments as Director - Quality and Standards at the Welsh National Board for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors and subsequently Health Professions Wales. She took up the appointment of Nursing Officer within the Office of the Chief Nursing Officer in the Welsh Assembly Government on 1 April 2006. Her remit as Nursing Officer broadly covers: nurse education, regulation, nurse prescribing, nursing issues related to older people and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA). She is the lead officer for work in Wales related to the UK initiative 'Modernising Nursing Careers'.

Main research interest is in issues arising from the equality and diversity agenda. Jean completed a PhD study into dyslexia in pre-registration student nurses and how they may be supported to develop clinical competence in 2006.

Source
Welsh Assembly Government

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