Arista 3 Information

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with Nancy Dickenson-Hazard, RN, MSN, FAAN, the chief executive officer of Sigma Theta Tau, regarding the newly released Arista 3 Report. The Arista 3: Nurses and Health: A Global Future1 is the result of a series of regional meetings among the 5 different world regions: the Americas and the Caribbean; the Pacific Rim and Southeast Asia; Africa and the Near East; Northern, Western, and Eastern Europe; and Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Multiple issues were under discussion with one of the results being the identification of 4 components of nursing's preferred future. Roles identified in which nurses can make the strongest contributions are the delivery of evidence-based care, policy development, and professional advocacy.

My first glance through the 13-page executive summary of this extremely valuable contribution by 109 expert participants from nursing, medicine, economics, healthcare delivery and administration, government economics, and private industry was that they have identified the essential components of nursing at large. In fact, the very roles identified as making the strongest contributions in the quest to achieve this preferred nursing were those common to clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). We, clinical nurse specialists, are ideal facilitators of evidence-based nursing, strong contributors to policy development, and in ideal professional advocacy arenas. Maybe I am a bit prejudiced toward the multifaceted roles and influences of the CNS in practice. These participants also identified health promotion and disease prevention as activities where nurses make strong contributions. Sound familiar to you from your practice? In fact, looking at the whole document it struck me how valuable I, as a CNS, was to the profession of nursing at large to make this a reality. Maybe you think this is a strong statement. But, then again, I believe you are also just as valuable in this future of nursing as I. We are all practicing CNSs. As such our contributions to nursing and healthcare abound each and every day we practice in our nursing profession.

In reviewing the remainder of the document I also recognized the ever familiar areas of opportunity that we have been facing for years. These include differing cultures and associated values, differing population-related health needs, research challenges to develop nursing, access to and distribution of resources, and many more. Again, these may seem unique to some areas of global nursing communities but for many of us they are common challenges we have faced for years.

Many of the recommended actions would benefit from the experience and leadership/facilitation of the CNSs. As the experts from around the world recommend profession restructuring and delivery of holistic, humane, and culturally appropriate care, I suggest that the CNSs (you in particular) around the world take note of this valuable report and seek ways in which we can make valuable contributions to the global future of nursing and healthcare. You, the actively practicing CNS, should make note of these recommendations and make your own strategic action plan to make a difference in your piece of the global picture. Plan your work and work your plan to make a difference in nursing.

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