Abstract

During my twenty-five years as a nursing professional, many of which were spent in nursing practice, education and more recently in nursing administration in Canada, the field of international nursing development always seemed like a challenging career path to pursue. However, until recently, due to the demands of a very busy nursing career, educational pursuits and family responsibilities, this challenge remained a mere dream.

In 1995, after completing eleven years as Vice President of Nursing / Patient Care at a large teaching hospital in Toronto my career refocused on this interest in international development. When the position of Co-Executive Director (Canadian) of a large bilateral programme funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) presented itself as an opportunity, I was off to Pakistan where my knowledge, skills and experience might be better utilized.