The nurses chapter of the AUB Alumni Association was first
formed in 1925. The goals of the chapter were to:
· Provide means of communication among the graduates of the AUB School of
nursing.
· Promote interest in the nursing profession.
· Promote professional status and educational standards of the nursing
graduates.
· Provide assistance for retired nurses who are members of the Chapter.
The Chapter was officially registered with the Ministry of Internal
Affairs in 1955 in order to purchase land for building a nurses home.
During the 50’s, the nurses’ efforts concentrated around raising funds for
purchasing land to build a home for retired and visiting nurses, as well as
for professional meetings. The slogan for that period was “ A Home Away From
Home”. The leader of that endeavor was Mrs. Sarah George Shahla.
In 1955 the Chapter celebrated the golden jubilee of the School of Nursing
(established in 1905) under the patronage of the first lady Mrs. Camille
Chamoun.
During the 60’s and 70’s the Chapter’s efforts were directed towards
establishing an order for Lebanese nurses that culminated in the formation
of the Federation of Nurses Associations in Lebanon 1986. It is worth
mentioning that members of the Chapter played the major role in the
Preparatory Committee for the Nursing Order. They laid the groundwork for
the Committee, which led to its official recognition by the International
Council of Nurses in 1969 and subsequent registration of Lebanon in the
Council.
During the 80’s the Chapter maintained its professional activities despite
the war, including collecting addresses of nursing alumni locally and abroad
and maintaining communications.
During the 90’s the Chapter conducted yearly conferences such as:
· Promoting the image of the professional nurse May 1991
· Healthy families: Nurses’ commitments, May 1994
· The second nursing research conference, November 1995
· Recent trends in nursing, May 1995
· Better health through nursing research, May 1996
· Lebanese women: reflection on the nursing profession, May 1997
In 1999, the Chapter prepared the resolution entitled “Restructuring the
Nursing Profession in a Country that has been Traumatized by War, The
Lebanese Experience”. The resolution was submitted by the Federation of
Nurses Associations in Lebanon to the International Council of Nurses
accepted and adopted in June 1999.
The current thrust of the Chapter’s activities is enhancing the development
of the nursing profession in Lebanon in light of the current developments in
health care through
organization of professional activities and active participation at the
national level in the Federation of Nurses’ Associations.