Purposes & Activities

Friends of African Nursing (Canada) exists to promote and support education and training relating to perioperative nursing practice in Africa by:

• Advancing knowledge and skills in the speciality of perioperative nursing, for nurses and others working in the field, thereby contributing to the personal and professional development of individual nurses, as well as the health system of the country
• Providing education, training and practical guidance in the developing country facilitated by experts in the field, either through hands-on sessions, provision of educational materials or financially supported programs
• Raising awareness regarding the issues facing African Nursing and disseminating examples of good practice from Africa to the wider healthcare community

Specifically, the Purposes of FoAN (Canada) are:

1. To advance the education of African perioperative nurses and others working in the field by providing programs or workshops
   

   Activities:

   Deliver or provide educational programs to perioperative nurses in Africa, including continuing education and leadership modules

   Provide bursaries for African perioperative nurses to attend programs provided or supported by FoAN (Canada). To qualify for a bursary, an African nurse will demonstrate that without financial support, she/he is unable to attend an educational program

   Provide educational resources such as textbooks, manuals and workbooks to support educational programs

   Collaborate with similarly-minded national and international nursing organizations and charities to deliver educational programs

2. To improve perioperative patient care in Africa through education, resulting in improved public health for both patients and nurses
   

   Activities:

   Educate perioperative nurses on infection control practices suitable for their setting, thereby improving public health

   Provide personal protective equipment to nurses attending educational programs, to prevent the spread of diseases such as AIDS

   Raise awareness of issues facing African perioperative nurses, such as AIDS

3. To provide not-for-profit hospitals or clinics with surgical or medical equipment
   

   Activities:

   Provide a conduit for ethical donations of surgical or medical equipment

   Raise financial or other resources to transport donated surgical or medical equipment to Africa