Global Leadership and Development of the International Family Nursing Association

Abstract

(41st Biennial Convention) Purpose: A 25 year STTI member will share her personal leadership development story, reflecting how leadership skills and experiences gained through STTI facilitated her role in the development of a new international nursing association.� Methods: At the chapter and international level STTI has sought to mentor and develop new leaders. This member has progressed through chapter roles such as board member, faculty councilor and chapter president and currently serves as a regional chapter coordinator. This STTI member was part of a group of volunteers or coordinating committee who initiated planning for�an organized association�for family nursing at the 7th International Family Nursing Conference in Victoria, British Columbia,�Canada in 2005, and has continued ever since.�At that time,�the coordinating committee was formed and they were charged to explore options for an association and completed the initial work toward launching the association. Results: The International Family Nursing Association (IFNA) was formally created with adoption of bylaws at the 9th International Family Nursing in Iceland in 2009. The presenter is treasurer and member of the board of this organization that currently has�121 members, representing 18 countries. The International Family Nursing Association (IFNA)'s mission is "to foster the individual and collective development of nurses involved in the promotion of health care to families by providing a unique international forum of shared responsibility for the advance of family nursing. IFNA offers opportunities for leadership, socialization, and collegial exchange related to all aspects of family nursing."� Conclusion: Challenges of global collaboration are identified which include communication, time zones and financial stability. Some of these challenges are similar to those faced by some of the small STTI chapters. A common strength for both organizations is the altruism of their members who provide significant volunteer support.