NANDA International (NANDA-I) announced the award of five scholarships to cover fees to the 2010 NANDA-I / AENTDE Congress to be held May 10-14, in Madrid, Spain. 

NANDA-I is a professional nursing association that develops, refines and publishes terminology accurately reflecting nurses' clinical judgments. 

The $800 scholarships are being personally sponsored by NANDA-I Executive Director, T. Heather Herdman, PhD, RN, who was inspired by meeting nursing colleagues in many developing countries. 

"The cost of attending an international conference is out of reach for many nurses in developing countries," Herdman says. "The conference fee alone exceeds a month or more of their nursing wages. These scholarships enable the recipients to meet and learn from colleagues with internationally-recognized expertise in standardized nursing language."

The recipients were selected from 50 applicants, based on their stated goals for conference attendance.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Ruth América Aliaga Sánchez (Peru)
• Monisola Oginni (Nigeria)
• Anita Collins (India)
• Rosario Meza (Peru)
• Lisiane Pruinelli (Brazil)

"It has been my honor to represent NANDA International in several countries throughout the world," Herdman adds. "My most memorable experiences have been with nurses in developing countries who work under conditions that many of us cannot imagine. 

"I find myself caught up in their enthusiasm and their commitment to improving patient outcomes. I admire their passion for nursing, patient care and NANDA-I, and wanted to provide some inspiration and support to these colleagues. These nurses inspire me every day."

NANDA International (NANDA-I) is an organization of nursing professionals from more than 20 countries that develops, refines and publishes terminology accurately reflecting nurses' clinical judgments. NANDA-I's unique, evidence-based standardized nursing language includes social, psychological and spiritual dimensions of care. It is used in 32 countries worldwide. The association was known as the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) until 2002.

To learn more, go to http://www.nanda.org.