AWHONN Professional Purpose Statement

Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses

Delegation Leader: Sandra K. Cesario, Ph.D., MS, RNC, FAAN

PROFESSIONAL PURPOSE STATEMENT

A delegation of highly skilled professionals with the expertise and experience as Women’s Health practitioners, including Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses have been selected to exchange ideas and address common issues with their professional counterparts in the United Arab Emirates, under the auspices of the Citizen Ambassador Program of Cultural Vistas, a US non-profit NGO, with extensive experience in developing counterpart professional exchanges. This delegation has been developed in consultation with the Association for Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).

The mission of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses is to empower and support nurses caring for women, newborns, and their families through research, education, and advocacy.

Our primary objective for this delegation is to gain an understanding and appreciation for Women’s Health Nurses in the UAE and the role of Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses. We will accomplish this objective through dialog with colleagues, and through professional and cultural visits.

The following subjects are of particular interest to the delegation. These topics may be further refined to incorporate the specialized interest and expertise of the individual delegates.

  1. Priorities and plans to advance health care for women in the UAE.
  2. Education and preparation for practice in women’s health care.
  3. UAE wide regulations, and standards of  nursing in the United Arab Emirates.
  4. The  cultural and clinical practice differences between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, including how UAE exchanges medical programs around the globe.
  5. Respecting and supporting practices for cultural and religious differences.
  6. Discuss best practices for common women’s health clinical issues, including female reproductive system chronic and acute diseases.
  7. Model of care delivery in the labor and delivery, post-partum and neonatal care units
  8. Advance Practice Registered Nurses roles in obstetrics and neonatal care.
  9. Community resources to support expectant parents and neonatal care families.

It is intended that these exchanges will facilitate increased learning for the UAE nurses and government representatives, and for the U.S. delegation members.   The opportunity to openly share and discuss best practices, advances and challenges facing their profession will provide a foundation for strong professional bonds, contributing to increased international understanding at the career and personal levels for all. 

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses has selected Sandra K. Cesario, Ph.D., MS, RNC, FAAN,  2022 AWHONN  President as leader of the delegation.  Dr. Cesario has provided guidance in the development of the topics of discussion listed above.  Below is a brief biography for Dr. Cesario.

Sandra K. Cesario, Ph.D., MS, RNC, FAAN

Dr. Cesario is the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) 2022 President and the recipient of their 2012 Distinguished Professional Service Award.  Dr. Cesario is the PhD Program Director, and a tenured Professor in the College of Nursing at Texas Woman’s University in Houston, USA, is a woman’s health specialist with more than 40 years of clinical, research, education, and policy development experience. She has provided care to women and newborns throughout the US and internationally and was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2008. Her certification in Inpatient Obstetrics by the National Certification Corporation (NCC) assures competence in labor, birth, and women’s health.
Dr. Cesario’s program of research centers on improving nursing care in the areas of management of labor and birth, gynecologic cancers, intimate partner violence, and reproductive health of persons with HIV. Dr. Cesario is a well-published author, speaker, and mentor. On a personal note, Dr. Cesario was the caregiver and advocate for her daughter who battled stage IV ovarian cancer for over 5 years.