Assistant Director, Nurse Consultant, Johns Hopkins Medicine International

Wilma Berends has devoted more than 30 years of her career to the nursing profession. She serves as a nurse consultant for the Global Services Clinical Quality and Nursing team at Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHMI).  

In this capacity, she facilitates the development of structures and processes needed to ensure the delivery of quality nursing and patient care at JHMI collaborator facilities. In addition to nursing processes, this may include general operational structures and processes related to the quality and safety of care. Wilma has expertise in Joint Commission International standards as well as the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program. 

Wilma’s initial nursing education and experience were in the Netherlands and Switzerland, where she developed her interest in pediatrics and cardiac care. She came to the U.S. to help develop the cardiac surgery program at the Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, rising to the position of director of the cardiac center.  

Wilma has provided leadership in achieving institutional objectives and has applied her advanced knowledge and expertise of nursing management to enhance patient care and unit operations. She has used evidence-based, data-driven solutions for quality improvement and outcomes management. Wilma has lectured internationally on quality and patient safety and leadership development. 

She has her Master of Science in nursing from American Sentinel University, and has completed postgraduate studies in pediatric nursing, pediatric and neonatal intensive care nursing, and psychology and mental health. Wilma is a certified professional in healthcare quality through the National Association for Health Care Quality.