Jehad Halabi PhD,RN, FTNSS

Expertise Areas:

Dr. Halabi is an accomplished professional with long experience in nursing education, leadership, and culturally responsive care. Her research focuses on women’s health and refugee populations through transcultural nursing methodologies. A distinguished graduate of the University of Jordan, she earned her MSc from SUNY Buffalo and her PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Halabi has led successful international exchange programs, including the Swedish SIDA and Linnaeus-Palme initiatives, and has contributed to nursing education in 18 countries. She played a pivotal role in developing Qatar University’s first nursing curriculum and is currently establishing the nursing program at Middle East University in Amman. Recognized as a Fulbright Scholar and one of Sigma’s top 100 nurses in Europe, Dr. Halabi was inducted as a transcultural scholar in 2014. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Transcultural Nursing and has contributed to Sigma’s Research and Scholarship Advisory Council. Works with the British Council’s “Women into Senior Leadership” program and is involved in global nursing networks, including several Special Interest Groups within the Transcultural Nursing Society

Languages spoken, read/write*:

Arabic and English

Select Publications:

1. Halabi, J.O., Lepp, M., Nilsson, J. (2025). Evaluating the impact of a one-year internship program on professional competence, self-efficacy, and perceived health among Saudi Arabian newly graduated nurses. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, http://doi.10.1177/10436596251382487
2. Bergbom, I, Lindström, UÅ, Halabi, JO, Nåden, D. (2025). Mercy is seen as a vital part of the caritative caring theory – a semantic and a synonym analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 39(3), e70085. http://doi.org/:10.1111/scs.70085
3. Pacquiao DF, Ludwig-Beymer P, Wehbe-Alamah H, Halabi JO, Maloney A, Brown R, Sagar P. (2025). A Call to Action for Health Equity: White Paper by the TCNS Scholars Education Interest Group. http://doi.1177/10436596251337373
4. Halabi, J.O., Nilsson, J., & Lepp, M. (2023). The Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale: Self-Reported Professional Competence among Newly Graduated Nursing Students in the Kingdom of KSA. Saudi Journal of Health Sciences, 12(1): 16-23. http://doi.10.4103/sjhs.sjhs_151_22
5. Halabi, J.O., Nilsson, J., Lepp, M. (2021). Professional competence among registered nurses working in hospitals in KSA and their experiences of the quality of nursing care and patient safety. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 32(4), 425–433. http://doi.10.1177/1043659621992845  

Present/Future Directions 

As a Professor of Nursing and global advocate for culturally congruent care, my current work centers on advancing nursing education through strategic curriculum development, mentorship, and international collaboration. Actively leading the establishment of the first nursing program at Middle East University in Amman, integrating transcultural principles, health equity, and evidence-based practice into every facet of academic and clinical preparation. Presently, developing toolkits and guidelines for various topics, designing academic presentations and workshops that address health disparities and cultural sensitivity, and strengthening alumni engagement and institutional structures to support lifelong learning and leadership.

Looking ahead, committed to expanding the impact of transcultural nursing education across borders. Future directions include working with special interest groups to launch a global transcultural nursing toolkit with adaptable cultural assessment tools, contributing to international research and policy reform through advisory roles and scholarly publications, and empowering emerging leaders through structured mentorship and leadership programs, especially those focused on women in healthcare. Aim to foster inclusive, ethical, and globally responsive nursing education that prepares future professionals to lead with compassion, competence, and cultural intelligence.

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Updated 10/2025