YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (TCHS) is pleased to announce the publication of the editorial article “Nurses as frontline responders for displaced populations,” co-authored by Adena Alahverdian (MPH’ 22) in the International Journal of Nursing Studies, a peer-reviewed scientific journal with an impact factor of 8.7.
The article presents the outcomes of two international nursing symposia that brought together more than 400 participants and 40 speakers from academia, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and philanthropic organizations to explore strategies for strengthening the nursing workforce in the care of displaced populations.
The publication was co-authored by experts from the Center for Health Services Research and Development (HDRI), the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), TCHS, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and the International Council of Nurses (ICN), reflecting a broad international collaboration focused on addressing one of today’s most pressing global health challenges.
As part of the workshop, three AUA Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students, Nune Tovmasyan (BSN ’27), Tamara Martirosyan (BSN ’27), and Gohar Bejanyan (BSN ’26), conducted a qualitative student project exploring the experiences of nurses caring for displaced populations. Supported by the Community Wellbeing Project (CWP) of the Avedisian Onanian Center for Health Services Research and Development at AUA, the students organized a focus group with nurses from Armenia’s Ararat region who had provided care to individuals displaced from Artsakh. The project examined the frontline roles, challenges, and experiences of nurses providing care to the displaced population. At the workshop, BSN students Nune Tovmasyan and Tamara Martirosyan presented the student project findings in an oral presentation entitled “Understanding Nurses’ Roles in Providing Care to Displaced Populations in Armenia: Student Case Study Discussion.” The project was completed under the mentorship of BSN faculty member Adena Alahverdian. Additionally, BSN students and Adena Alahverdian actively participated in the collaborative group discussions held during the second day of the in-person symposium.
Through presentations, panel discussions, and collaborative working groups, participants exchanged cross-country experiences and developed recommendations to strengthen nursing education, practice, policy, and research. The publication highlights that caring for displaced populations is complex, requiring comprehensive and multidisciplinary approaches. It also emphasizes that nurses are often the first point of contact for displaced populations, providing primary healthcare, health education, and psychosocial support, while frequently facing barriers that limit their ability to deliver optimal care.
The authors conclude that nurses are central to improving health outcomes for displaced populations and that strengthening the nursing workforce through education, interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-informed policy, and innovative research is essential for addressing the growing global challenges associated with forced displacement.
This publication reflects AUA’s continued commitment to advancing nursing research that informs evidence-based nursing practice, education, health policy, and leadership.
The AUA Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management