Text by: Charmaine A. Lingdas, UPCN Dean Sheila R. Bonito
Solidifying its stature as a global institution for nursing leadership and development, the University of the Philippines College of Nursing (UPCN) has been redesignated as a World Health Organization Collaborating Center (WHOCC) for Leadership in Nursing Development. This designation is effective from April 9, 2024, to April 9, 2028.
“A WHO Collaborating Center is designated to support the World Health Organization by providing technical assistance and support to its Member States. As a WHOCC for Leadership Development in Nursing, UP College of Nursing assists WHO and its Member States in the Western Pacific region by developing leadership and training programs and providing online resources for nurses,” UPCN Dean Sheila Bonito stated.
WHO Collaborating Centers
Globally, there are only 35 WHOCCs in the field of nursing, and there are only six in the Western Pacific region, namely: Yonsei University College of Nursing in South Korea, University of the Philippines Manila College of Nursing in the Philippines, St. Luke’s International University People-Centered Care Research Department in Japan, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) School of Nursing in Hong Kong China, University of Technology, Sydney Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Health in Australia, and Peking Union Medical College School of Nursing in China. These Centers work collaboratively with WHO to advance the nursing profession and assist in addressing regional health challenges.
Dean Bonito elaborates “The fact that we are helping WHO and its member states is significant, since it is an opportunity for a developing country like the Philippines to contribute to global health. With our strong nursing education program and capacity to train other nursing institutions, we can demonstrate our leadership in nursing development in the region.”
History, Significance, and Impact
UP College of Nursing is one of the oldest WHOCCs established in the late 1980s. It was first designated as a WHOCC in 1989 for Nursing Development in Primary Health Care. Then, UPCN was redesignated as a WHOCC for Leadership in Nursing Development from 2004 to the present. “UPCN was able to show its leadership in nursing education when it adopted quickly the Competency-based curriculum framework in the BS Nursing program which WHO Western Pacific region first introduced in 1978. UPCN developed two monographs on the BSN Competency-Based Curriculum in 1981 and 1985 to help other schools in the country develop and implement their program,” Dean Bonito explains.
The College has been instrumental in developing the BSN program assisting nursing schools in curricular development, and engaging them in training programs and workshops. UPCN’s contribution to the national nursing curriculum can be seen in the CHED Memo Order No. 14, series of 2009 adopting the BSN Competency-Based curriculum. UPCN also assisted the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) Board of Nursing in developing the National Nursing Core Competency Standards (NNCCS) published in 2012.
Aside from its programs developed to strengthen nursing education in the country, UPCN extended its impact internationally by developing and implementing the Cambodia Nurse Bridging Program (2011-2014) to assist Cambodia in accelerating and enhancing faculty development in nursing towards offering a BS Nursing program. The College was also an active founding member of the Asia Pacific Emergency and Disaster Nursing Network established in 2007 to help the WHO Western Pacific and South East Asia region develop capacities of nurses and midwives in emergency and disaster preparedness. During the COVID pandemic, UPCN continued its role by providing training and resources alongside the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau and LGUs under the project “Contact Tracing for COVID-19 for Epidemiologic Surveillance Units and Local Contact Tracing Teams in the Philippines.” It also developed training programs and learning resources for mental health and healthy aging through the WHO Philippines.
Recent Achievements and Contributions
The recent redesignation (2024-2028) is the result of the work of UPCN as a WHOCC from 2020-2024. Dean Bonito further explained that the redesignation is the result of the recent activities of UPCN as a WHOCC for Leadership in Nursing Development. In the last four years, UPCN has developed training programs on nursing leadership, including the Leadership Development Course for Public Health Nurses (LDC-PHN), the Leadership Development Course for Public Health Midwives (LDC-MW), the NurseLEAD: Leadership Course for Advanced Practice in Public Health Nursing, and the Global Health Nursing Leadership Program for the Western Pacific region.
The LDC-PHN program, offered for the fifth time in early 2024, has trained 233 public health nurses to become leaders and advocates in improving the health system to implement primary health care and universal health coverage. Similarly, the LDC-MW program trained 97 leader midwives, focusing on health service delivery and governance. NurseLEAD which was first offered in 2021 has already trained 400 public health nurses on leadership, management, and collaboration. The capstone projects of these trained individuals have started to bear outcomes in helping improve the health system at the local and national levels. The Global Health Nursing Leadership program has likewise engaged nurse leaders in the region representing 17 countries to share their experiences and expertise in global health, strategic leadership, and policy advocacy.
The latest redesignation focuses on leadership in nursing development and includes the following terms of reference:
Challenges and Privileges of WHOCCs
Dean Bonito cites the challenges faced by WHOCCs, particularly the lack of direct financial support from the organization to accomplish the specific terms of reference. “The work of WHOCC has to be done through its own funds. WHO does not provide financial support,” she states.
Despite these challenges, being a WHOCC offers opportunities for networking and global collaboration. One has to be creative in partnering with institutions, especially with other WHOCCs with similar goals to achieve them. For example, the Global Health Nursing Leadership Program was run together with Peking Union Medical College and with cooperation from all other WHOCCs in the region.
As part of UPCN’s commitment to strengthening capacity-building in interprofessional education practices, it has an International Study Program with Gunma University to implement an interprofessional capacity-building program and research activities. This partnership has facilitated faculty and student exchanges, enhancing the educational experience and research capabilities of both institutions.
While the designation primarily targets professional nurses, it indirectly benefits students by enhancing the curriculum and teaching at UPCN. “Being part of WHO Collaborating Centers allows us to see the global picture which influences nursing education, practice, and research in the country,” Dean Bonito affirms. In the 2020 State of the World’s Nursing (SOWN) report of WHO, UPCN was able to assist the Department of Health in conducting a stakeholder orientation to help answer the questions for the SOWN report.
Future Directions
Looking ahead, UPCN plans to continue its priority projects, including the offering of the Global Health Nursing Leadership program this November 2024, the State of the World’s Nursing Report 2025, and the International Study Program 2025. Dean Bonito shares that “we plan to continue our global nursing leadership program and contribute to the State of the World’s Nursing Report. We also aim to evaluate the impact of our International Study Program with other universities.”
UPCN’s re-designation as a WHOCC for Leadership in Nursing Development underscores its pivotal role in shaping the future of nursing leadership. Through collaboration, education, research, and innovation, the College continues to make significant contributions to global health, solidifying its position as a leader in nursing development. #
