A Model for Advancing Professional Nursing Regulation: The African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative

The African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative (ARC) was launched in 2011 to help countries develop or strengthen nursing regulations to ensure safe and sustainable nurse-initiated and nurse-managed HIV treatment. ARC supports teams of national nursing leaders from 17 countries to engage in rapid regulatory strengthening through regional meetings, regulation improvement grants, and in-country technical assistance. The ARC initiative has awarded 33 regulation improvement grants on topics such as continuing professional development, scopes of practice, nurse practice acts, and entry-to-practice examinations. Progress is measured by a novel tool that captures meaningful advancements in national regulations. The ARC initiative facilitates rapid improvements in professional nursing regulation. The model and evaluation framework are highly transferable to other health care cadres and offer a platform for regulators, policy makers, professional bodies, and educators to collaborate on prioritized regulation issues.