Events

Nursing Forum 2008

January 18-19, 2008
Bangalore

Nurses continue to comprise the largest group of healthcare professionals in India. Despite being the backbone of healthcare sector, nursing staffs are not known for asserting their powers. A lot of factors including failure to understand and utilise their powers, sexual stereotyping, role socialisation, and negative images of power as a coercive or corrupting influence account for it.

Esther Shirley Daniel and Prof Nanjunde Gowda, Chief Organising Secretaries of Nursing Forum felt that a conference on 'Issues, Challenges and Competencies in Nursing' was the need of the hour in the world of nursing in India.

A conference on the above topic was hosted by the Forum on 18th & 19th January, 2008 at Dhanavantri Hall, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore. More than 700 delegates attended the conference and various topics were discussed by eminent speakers.

The conference highlighted issues like nursing workplace issues, challenges for the profession, unifying practice and education challenges, competencies in nursing, nurse empowerment, assertive skills for nurses, IT in nursing, creating excellence in competent care etc. Speaking on 'Assertive skills for Nurses', Pauline Sharmila, Principal, Sri Lakshmi Con, she emphasised the need to behave more assertively. "Nurses should speak up when they have an opinion or idea. Stand up for them and always stick to them," said she. To refuse an unreasonable request is also an assertive skill. "Assertiveness prevents depression, anxiety and other stress-related problems," she added.

Prof Esther Shirley Daniel, Principal, St Mary's Institute of Nursing, Bangalore, spoke on 'Creating Excellence In Competent Care'. Competency-based assessments are the attributes required to fulfill the professional role at the beginning level. Predicting that by 2017, global society will have an insufficient number of workers to support itself, she said, "There are a variety of competency-based assessment strategies that include observations such as critical incidents, written communication such as case studies and journaling and, finally, self evaluation."

Rohini Paul, Nursing Superintendent, Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Medical Science, Bangalore, gave a presentation on 'Practical Aspects Related To Continuing Nursing Education In Acute Care Setting'. Explaining the various training programmes conducted by her hospital, she said, "Clinical care area nurses need theoretical and practical knowledge which alone can earn them respect in the health care industry."

"Empowerment is the philosophy that involves sharing of power with nurses working in empowered teams," said Prof BA Yathi Kumara Swamy Gowda, Principal, Alva's College Of Nursing, Moodbidri, who spoke on 'Empowerment through Accountability'.

He stressed on the importance of empowerment of nurses and the need to give them the authority to make autonomous decisions. Speaking on 'Fundamental Pillars Which Promotes Excellence in Nursing & Midwifery Practice', Prof SN Nanjunde Gowda, Chief Secretary, Nursing Forum, said, "The challenge of achieving nursing excellence during 21st century will be overwhelming to every nurse. However, this challenge will be met through nurse's commitment, vision, systematic planning and collaborative actions with the profession and partner in health."

Another topic of discussion was the general impression of nurses in the society. Concerns were expressed on depicting of nurses as a sex object and poorly represented by some TV serials and movies. Various strategies to improve the image of nursing was also discussed like education, elimination of internal sexism and development of separate internal and external media committees.

"We are very happy with the overwhelming response to the conference and hope to experience and organise many more such events in the healthcare industry," said Paniel Jayanth, Chief Consultant & Head - Operations, AMEN, who played a vital role in managing and organising the conference. Express Healthcare was the official media partner for the event.

EH News Bureau