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Pediatric nurses are at the forefront of care for infants, children, adolescents, and their families. In their important role, they often forge new and innovative practices, tailored to the needs of the serviced community. Digital developments enable nursing colleagues worldwide to collaborate and consult and share knowledge and practices that can be replicated or adapted for different, often distant geographic locations. Global collaborations and partnerships enable the implementation of nurse-led models of care across the globe, as nurses continue to develop and lead the care for pediatric and child health worldwide. 

Nurse clinical experts and leaders engage in developing and implementing innovative nursing care interventions worldwide for underserved and unserved populations of children, adolescents, and their families who struggle with challenging health needs. 
Nurse-led models of care represent the myriad of care models that vary in terms of the diverse populations served and their differing scope of impact (e.g., institutional-wide programs, community-based setting, regional and national application, etc.). Partnerships with interdisciplinary colleagues in the context of these models drive innovations that improve health care outcomes for the populations served.

Knowledge dissemination in Pediatric and Child Health Nursing 

Advanced practice pediatric and child health nurses have been forging new pathways of clinical excellence that were previously difficult to achieve. In the past, geographical boundaries separated nursing colleagues from learning and replicating nurse-led models of care in distant global locations. But in today¡¯s digital world, colleagues worldwide are able to collaborate and consult with one another to learn and acquire knowledge about new models of care, which can be replicated or adapted in different locations and settings. 

International pediatric and child health nursing colleagues have assumed an emerging prominence, and thus contribute to global nursing practice and research. The dissemination of nursing practice and research efforts is not bound by geographic boundaries, as has been established in the compilation of nurse-led and -directed models of care featured in the book . Global collaborations and partnerships support ongoing and innovative improvements in pediatric and child health nursing practice and developments as well as the implementation of nurse-led models of care.

Moving Forward: Innovation and Inspiration

Now, nurses who create new and innovative pediatric models of care for children, adolescents, and their families are trailblazing new pathways of practice and standards of care. They inspire other nursing colleagues to venture forward and create other models that will improve health outcomes for the pediatric population. 
As nurses obtain autonomy and independence in their practice, combined with collaborative and knowledge disseminating work patterns, the possibilities are endless. Pediatric nurses have been and will continue to be in the forefront of advocating for changes in practice to better support children and improve their health outcomes (as has been done, for instance, with advocacy for family-centered care, care coordinationn, pain management, and more). 

The global network of pediatric and child health nursing colleagues continues to build upon a proud history of advocating for equitable, humane, and supportive health care for the population of children, adolescents, and families worldwide. As the professional practice of pediatric and child health nursing moves forward with new evidence-based practice models, research, quality improvement projects, and scholarship, the field will continue to advance forward and contribute to new visions of professional possibilities and practice innovations for pediatric populations and their families. 

To celebrate International Nurses Day (IND), observed annually on May 12, explore PÕ¾ÊÓƵ¡¯s dedicated page with insights from key opinion leaders like Dr. Betz, curated content, listings of relevant journals and books, and more.
And check out PÕ¾ÊÓƵ¡¯s hub on SDG3: Good Health and Well-Being for the latest updates.

About Author:

Cecily L. Betz, PhD, RN, FAAN is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, USA. Dr. Betz serves as the Nursing and Research Director of the USC UCEDD at Children¡¯s Hospital Los Angeles. She has extensive clinical research and policymaking experience in the field of health care transition, on which she published extensively. Dr. Betz has served as a consultant nationally and internationally. She is the Co-Chair of the International and Interdisciplinary Health Care Transition Research Consortium and served as the Chair of the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) Task Force that formulated the 2017 SPN position statement entitled, Transition of Pediatric Patients into Adult Care.
Dr Cecily L. Betz, PhD, RN, FAAN | Research Director | Director of Nursing Training
USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Children¡¯s Hospital Los Angeles