Hanan Saca-Hazboun is an Assistant Professor specializing in nursing education at the Tarek Juffali Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bethlehem University, Bethlehem, Palestine. In addition to her academic position, she focuses on introducing palliative care and ethical issues at end of life to sophomore students, and is involved in teaching post-graduate students enrolled in the Master in Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing.
Dr. Saca-Hazboun received her PhD from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA, in 2017; her Master’s in Nursing Education from California State University, Sacramento, USA, in 1996; and became an EPEC-Pediatrics Trainer in 2022. She has been a board-certified registered nurse since 1988, and is a member of the Palliative Care Study Group of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer.
Dr. Saca-Hazboun has presented at several palliative care conferences within Palestine about a variety of topics, including quality, communication, and pain management. She takes special care to discuss palliative care with her sophomore students, in the hope and expectation that this knowledge will give them confidence and the right tools to care for the dying.
Furthermore, Dr. Saca-Hazboun advocates improving palliative care in Palestine similar to the neighboring countries Israel and Jordan, and encourages policy makers to initiate palliative care throughout Palestine. Currently, just one hospital in Jerusalem has adopted palliative care and trained its health care providers in palliative care. In addition, she supports nurses who want to improve patient care.
She is founder of the Al-Maha Cancer society, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that strives to improve cancer awareness. The society aims to increase women’s awareness of breast cancer and cancer screening, as well as educating and training student nurses.
Dr. Saca-Hazboun joined the IAHPC in 2011, became an IAHPC Board Member in January 2023, and is a member of Individual Recognition Awards Committee.
Apart from work, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband and children.