Hanan Saca-Hazboun

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. Her academic work focuses on introducing palliative care and ethical issues at the end of life to sophomore nursing students, and on teaching postgraduate students enrolled in the Master’s program in Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing.

Dr. Saca-Hazboun received her PhD from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA, in 2017; her Master’s degree 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 (MASCC). She attended the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva 2024 as part of IAHPC members to raise awareness about need for palliative care services.

Dr. Saca-Hazboun has presented at multiple palliative care conferences in Palestine on topics such as quality of care, communication, and pain management. In 2025, she worked collaboratively with colleagues at Caritas Baby Hospital to introduce and address the concept of moral distress among healthcare professionals, with the aim of improving ethical awareness and supportive care practices.

Dr. Saca-Hazboun is the founder of Al-Maha Cancer Society, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving cancer awareness. The society focuses on increasing women’s awareness of breast cancer and cancer screening, as well as educating and training student nurses.

She joined the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) in 2011, became a Board Member in January 2023, and currently serves on the Individual Recognition Awards Committee.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband and children.