Despite the fact that nursing is essential for improving healthcare delivery in China, its importance is often overlooked, supportive financing is weak, and the status of nursing is low. Since 2007, CMB has supported 8 leading universities to create the CMB China Nursing Network (CNNN) for upgrading nursing curricula, strengthening faculty, promoting research and experiment with new models of service delivery.

On October 27, organized by Fudan University, 8 network deans met at Peking University Health Science Center to review progress and map out the next phase of their cooperation. The network meeting brought together all 8 network members as well as CMB nursing advisor Linda Aiken, CMB President Lincoln Chen, and guest commentators Dr. Wang Tao of Peking University Third Hospital and Professor Wang Peiyu, for discussion of ongoing projects.

Participants reported on recent innovations as well as emerging challenges. Four members—Central South, China Medical University, Sichuan, and Xi’an Jiaotong—reported on a shared pilot project for community nursing, a practice that could increase access to primary care for underserved populations. Peking and Fudan are testing three online core courses from the University of Arizona that could eventually be adapted for China. Peking Union Medical College is administering a small grants program that has awarded 24 young faculty at member universities on priority research.

CCNN Network's policy research about how nursing can impact upon patient and nurse outcomes was recently published. For more information on the CMB China Nursing Network (CNNN), please visit its website.