My name is Francisca Márquez-Doren. I am a nurse midwife with an MNSc and a PhD. I am an associate professor at the SON-UC Chile and I am currently the director of postgraduate studies at that institution. It is a privilege to serve Sigma, and I am honoured to have been selected to apply for the position of Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean. I have held academic and leadership positions in higher education in nursing for the past 26 years. I have had the privilege of serving in various leadership roles. From November 2022 to the present day, I have been president-elect and president of the Alpha Beta Omicron Sigma chapter of Chile. During this period, we have raised the profile of Sigma in our country and the region and advanced the profile of Advanced Practice Nursing in Chile and LATAM. During this time, I have promoted the chapter's national and international links, and I was part of the organising committee for the 17th International Colloquium on Nursing Research, sponsored by Sigma and attended by over 800 nurses from Chile and abroad. At this event, I organised a pre-colloquium activity about the implementation of the APN role in the country and region, with contributions from international and national guests that helped us achieve our goal.
I am committed to developing my skills and leadership abilities to motivate and support staff effectively through constant change in the university and healthcare sectors. I have dedicated my career to training, supporting, leading and coaching nurses to become the best possible educators, researchers and leaders of care. I am passionate about and committed to advanced practice nursing because I am confident that I can make a significant contribution to my country and the region. From this perspective, I have promoted the development of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role, not only in terms of training (my area of expertise), but also in terms of its implementation in clinical contexts and its political visibility, with the aim of implementing the role in Chile and Latin America. I have promoted and led research projects that allow us to implement the role in a lasting way. In fact, Chile is the only country in the region with training programmes, and the UC is the only institution with the role implemented in clinical contexts within the university network. I will strive to ensure that Sigma remains responsive and relevant and continues to expand its membership in the region.
My previous management and service roles, my work on national projects and my experience within academia have developed my skills and leadership, and have given me a valuable perspective on the role and responsibilities of Sigma's regional coordination and the needs of our members throughout Latin America. It would be an honour to be considered for the position of Sigma's Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Carribbean.