Empowering Nurses to Become Leaders

For Manushak Gabrielyan, 60, nursing is more than a job-it’s a calling rooted in compassion, purpose, and leadership. With over three decades of service at the Metsamor Medical Center, she has dedicated her career to caring for more than 20,000 residents in Metsamor and its five surrounding villages. Today, as head nurse, she leads a team of 12 with empathy and intention.

“Being a leader means more than giving instructions,” she says. “It means setting an example, building trust, and making sure every nurse feels confident, supported, and valued. When your team feels seen, they work with heart-and that’s when real care happens.”

That kind of leadership is exactly what FAR aims to cultivate through its Continuing Professional Development Program for Head Nurses, launched in 2022. The program equips regional head nurses with the tools to elevate care standards through a combination of leadership training and clinical skills development. Manushak was among 25 head nurses from across Armenia who participated in the 2025 cycle of the program.

“The online sessions were informative, but it was the in-person workshops that transformed us,” she recalls. “We learned updated assessment tools and guidelines we had never used before. We practiced real scenarios and deepened our understanding of leadership and communication. This training helped me become a better nurse-and a better leader.”

Experts echo Manushak’s sentiment. “High-quality nursing care is the foundation of safe and effective healthcare,” says Kim Hekimian, Associate Professor of Nutrition in Pediatrics at Columbia University. “Head nurses play a pivotal role in implementing change and driving improvements. Investing in their development is a powerful strategy for strengthening healthcare, especially in Armenia’s remote and underserved areas.”

Naira Avetisyan, Chief Nurse at Arabkir Medical Center, agrees: “The head nurse sets the tone for the entire team. Good leadership creates a culture of trust, where every nurse feels empowered to do their best.”

Launched in 2022, the Continuing Professional Development Program for Head Nurses aims to empower regional nurses through a hands-on, two-week training program in Yerevan. Supported by the Nazarian Family of New Jersey and the Dr. Raffy Hovanessian Education Fund, the program has successfully enrolled and trained 116 regional and Artsakhtsi head nurses, who have earned valuable 48 credits in the process. Since 2024, the program has been supported by the Armenian Medical Fund.

For nurses like Manushak, FAR’s program is not just professional development-it’s fuel for a lifelong mission of care. Be a part of that mission by donating to FAR today!