Welcome to the UCSF Center for Global Nursing (and Advanced Practice)

at the Institute for Global Health Sciences.



In this newsletter, you can expect to find opportunities, events, and other information about UCSF nurses, advanced practice providers, and our global partners working toward global health solutions.

🌍✨ The World Health Organization released its anticipated report ✨🌍

State of the World's Nursing 2025

On May 12, the World Health Organization released the State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report, underscoring both progress and persistent challenges in the global nursing workforce. While the number of nurses has grown to nearly 30 million worldwide, critical inequities remain, especially in low- and middle-income countries where workforce shortages continue to hinder access to quality care. 

The report calls for urgent investment in nursing education, equitable workforce distribution, mental health support, and leadership development. At CGN, these findings affirm the urgency and relevance of our mission: to strengthen the global nursing workforce through education, leadership, and strategic partnership. 

We invite our community to engage with the report and reflect on how we can collectively advance nursing equity and impact worldwide.

For a more detailed analysis and country-specific data, you can access the full report using the link below:

Thank you for joining CGN's

International Nurses Day celebration!

We were welcomed by IGHS Director Dr. Payam Nahid and a special video message from UCSF Health CNO Dr. Maddy Pearson. We also heard from our CGN Global Scholars and Travel Award recipients about their experiences working abroad to promote sustainable, bi-directional partnerships with their global colleagues.

We celebrated the achievements of our inaugural Certificate in Global Nursing graduates and announced the recipients of this year’s Global Nursing SEED Award, recognizing the essential role of nurse-led research in global health.

We were honored to welcome Mele Siʻi Inukihaʻangana Filise, Chief Nursing Officer at Tonga’s Ministry of Health, who shared inspiring reflections on Tonga’s ongoing collaboration with CGN and her vision for the future of nursing.

After the presentations, we enjoyed a lively reception, where attendees had a chance to connect!

We remain incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such a passionate and inspiring community at UCSF and with our global partners. Today, we celebrate the worldwide impact of nursing as we continue working together to improve health for all.

Nurses and advanced practice providers play a pivotal role in improving global population health. CGN's Global Nursing Impact Series offers a platform to highlight their leadership and impact in advancing health equity and to promote collaboration on these initiatives. Each session will feature a 20-minute presentation by invited speakers, followed by a Q&A.*

The lecture series is held virtually on the second Tuesday of each month and starts promptly at 7:00 am - 7:30 am PST/4:00 pm - 4:30 pm CEST.

Use the link below to register for CGN's upcoming Global Nursing Impact Series on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025

7:00 am - 7:30 am PST/4:00 pm - 4:30 pm CEST.

*The series is open to UCSF faculty, students, staff, global partners, and professionals interested in the field of global health.

This month, CGN is excited to feature CGN is honored to feature Professor Linda S. Franck, PhD, RN, FRCPCH, FAAN, who holds the Jack and Elaine Koehn Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Nursing and a secondary appointment in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences.

She is an affiliate faculty member of the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, the Institute for Health Policy Studies, and the Center for Global Nursing. Her research aims to influence healthcare quality of care standards and policy globally to improve health equity and outcomes for infants, children, and people of reproductive age. She has pioneered interventions to engage patients, families, and communities in health care and research partnerships.

Register now for one of CGN's upcoming Cultural Humility Course dates! 🌍

This engaging course is designed for UCSF nurses and advanced practice providers seeking to develop skills in cultural humility, address personal biases, and foster more respectful, equitable partnerships. Participants will gain valuable tools to enhance cross-cultural collaboration and reduce power imbalances, making it an essential resource for advancing inclusive practices in global nursing.

📅 2025 Course Dates remaining: October 21, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Adam Cooper, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, EBP-C

Nurse Leader | UCSF Health

Adam Cooper is the Director of Nursing Continuous Improvement and Interim Director of Nursing Research at UCSF Health.  He also serves as the Director of the UCSF JBI Center and Co-Director of Global Programs within the UCSF Leadership Institute, supporting leadership development and evidence-based practice (EBP) programs. He received a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) from the UCSF School of Nursing and holds national certification in both Nursing Professional Development and EBP.

Adam is passionate about continuous/quality improvement and EBP, and leads and teaches in programs at UCSF, nationally, and globally. One of the programs he leads is an EBP Fellowship with a partner hospital in Hong Kong. For over 10 years, he and others from UCSF have partnered with this hospital to develop a culture of EBP among their Nursing and other interprofessional teams. The program has been transformational for how clinical care is delivered and how evidence informs decision-making. The success of this work is now evolving into a local faculty development program in which the UCSF EBP team will be partnering with some of their previous EBP fellows to become faculty to teach future participants within their institution and the region.

At CGN, Adam is working with the CGN Director, Dr. Rebecca Silvers, and the Tongan Ministry of Health to develop a Quality Improvement Fellowship to uplift nursing and improve health outcomes in Tonga.

Adam is married to a palliative care nurse, has two kids, and loves jazz hands. 

Funding and Global Opportunities

CGN is committed to supporting our members as they engage in meaningful global health work. Apply now and take the next step in your global health journey!

Qualtrics Application Process:

1. Complete the application questionnaire
2. Provide an invitation letter to work abroad
3. Attach your CV or resumé 

Our next application review date is October 15th, 2025. Apply now!



Applications are evaluated based on the project's sustainability and efforts to collaborate with local partners.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) is the only hospital in northern Laos that provides specialty pediatric care, offering free services to underserved families in the region. It focuses on improving access to essential health services while supporting sustainable healthcare through training local providers. Volunteering offers a meaningful way to contribute to the hospital's mission and make a difference in children's lives.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children accepts applications for medical and nursing volunteers throughout the year. All individuals interested in volunteering should be able to spend two months at LFHC during their first visit. Anyone interested is welcome to send their resumes to hr@fwablaos.org.

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