Nurses and midwives are key to achieving universal health coverage. They are the ones leading primary health care teams and advancing the quality of services in many rural or remote communities around the world. Partners in the Primary Health Care to Communities (PHC2C) consortium challenge national leaders and global stakeholders to partner with nurses now to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 and universal health coverage.

The PHC2C consortium brings together the expertise of university research, global human resources for health (HRH) development, health worker advocacy, and nursing to strengthen the leadership roles of nurses and midwives in health systems to better integrate frontline teams and improve the accessibility and quality of health services for rural populations. 

The consortium aims to:

• Build leadership and management competencies of facility heads, who are primarily nurses
• Equip facility heads with technologies to monitor information and guide improvements and access to clinical resources beyond the community
• Recognize and advocate for the role of the nurse in managing rural facilities through clear job descriptions, career opportunities, and participation in decision-making
• Acknowledge the unique make-up of the community frontline team and the importance of the nurse in harmonizing the team’s efforts
• Plan for HRH in an iterative way based on the health needs of population.

Zambia Case Study

In Zambia, the PHC2C consortium is building the capacity of nurses and nurse-midwives who lead rural facilities  so they will be better able to manage teams and lead communities to improved health. University educators have collaborated with the general nursing council and district supervisors to design and deliver a certificate training in leadership and management that fulfills the credits required for re-licensure. Through blended learning and peer-to-peer support, facility heads gain experience and confidence in effective approaches to community engagement, responsive and respectful care, monitoring data, and developing innovative strategies for improvement. The training incorporates joint learning with their frontline team members so that all collaborate in a way that demonstrates their teamwork in improving the quality of services. The participation of district nurse supervisors as course tutors improves supervisory practices and institutionalizes regular communication and active mentoring between the district and the facilities.