Nurses, around the world, and particularly in India, are professionals who can make a significant impact in reducing the health care burden in rural and high-need areas. That’s why, in 2020, ECHO India launched the Nursing Vertical, a groundbreaking ECHO program offering training, mentorship and professional support.
Innovating with ECHO
The Nursing Vertical establishes a country-wide network of mentor and mentee relationships to transform ongoing education, improve retention of the current workforce, and connect local need to global experts.
At the time of the Nursing Vertical launch, nurses were already involved in other ECHO India programs, including: oncology care, palliative care, addiction management, and tuberculosis. To bring even more nursing care providers into the ECHO network, these existing ECHO Hubs then expanded their capacity, building on established regional and local knowledge in the areas of:
- infection prevention and control
- maternal and child health, including midwifery
- pediatric nursing
- mental health nursing
- stroke nursing
- critical care
- cardiac health
- and community health awareness
Partnerships
Critical partners include:
- India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- the General Health Service Nursing Division
- the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare
- Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwifery Council
- the Society of Indian Neuroscience Nurses
- and nursing councils in Sikkim, Maharashtra, Manipur, Jhakarkand and Nagaland
The ECHO Impact
To date, more than 85 programs in the Nursing Vertical have reached nearly 300,000 nurses in all 36 states of India through more than 1,000 ECHO sessions.
“I appreciate the hard work and diligent effort that ECHO India has put in completing the nationwide training for capacity building of nursing professionals. The Nursing Division would like to recognize the fact that the ECHO India team has extended full support for making COVID-19 management programs successful,” Dr. Rathi Balachandran, Assistant Director General, Nursing Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
“The support of ECHO India was pathbreaking in COVID-19 management when training for nursing personnel was a dire need. The ECHO India team has commendable commitment and dedication toward strengthening the nursing workforce, contributing to improving public health outcomes. I extend heartfelt appreciation for ECHO India’s phenomenal contribution in providing a virtual platform for several mentorship programs building the capacity of nursing professionals,” Dr. Deepika C. Khakha, Nursing Advisor, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
About ECHO India
ECHO India is a nonprofit trust established in 2008 in partnership with Project ECHO.
About This Story
Case Reports are a brief look at some of our most impactful programs or research