-problems, education under scrutiny
A two-day Nursing Summit, organized by the Nursing Department of the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Guyana Nurses Associa-tion, commenced yesterday at the Ocean View Convention Centre.
The summit, which is being held under the theme ‘Nursing in Guyana: Reflecting on the past, envisioning the future, creating the change’, is said to be the first of its kind. Coinciding with International Nurses Day, the main objectives of the summit are to assess and evaluate the state of nursing in Guyana in relation to nursing education, practice and regulations and the personal, professional growth and development of nurses. It also aims to develop strategies which will make nurses more responsive to the needs of clients and patients as well as improving nursing care and its practice in Guyana. Yesterday afternoon’s session saw presentations on Nursing Education and the Personal and Professional Develop-ment of Nurses.
In her presentation on Nursing Education, Zaheeda Hack, a professional nurse attached to the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana, noted that nursing is an art which requires dedication and hard work. Hack said that nurses play an integral role in the management and delivery of health care in a variety of settings which includes non-governmental organizations as well as the prisons. She asked those in the audience, which included over 200 nurses, if they are prepared to undertake their duties in these and other settings.
Hack noted that there are several shortcomings within the nursing field. She noted a lack of communication between key stakeholders in addressing nursing education, the absence of a human resource plan, a low level of motivation among tutors as well as inadequate resources to meet the needs of nurses. She also listed insufficient space in classrooms, an inadequate number of tutors and clinical instructors as other shortcomings facing the nursing field.
She said some of the facilities used for training are poorly ventilated while the education curricula in nursing education is not up to the standard of those of other regional bodies. Hack recommended that the authorities should develop a human resource plan for health services including nursing as well as a reliable means of communication between all stakeholders involved in nursing education. Hack also cited the need for the establishment of an incentive scheme for nurses who may have made significant contributions to the nursing field and she called on policymakers to improve the availability of education resources such as books and access to the internet.
Meanwhile, Chief Health Visitor, Joan Stewart, noted that a career as a professional nurse is rewarding and fulfilling. Stewart who presented information on the personal and professional development of a nurse, said that a survey was carried out recently to ascertain current trends in professionalism displayed by nurses. She said the survey which utilized the assistance of 62 professional nurses, found that 66% of the participants had less than 5 years experience in the nursing field. She said 70% of those surveyed were knowledgeable of their required duties while 42% were competent in their areas of work. Stewart also asked why there are existing problems within the field since she noted that 70% of the participants related that they actually solved problems relating to their field of work by finding solutions and implementing them.
Stewart then asked ‘How professional are nurses?’ In her findings she noted that there is a young generation of nurses and many of them are not knowledgeable of the code of ethics required by the field. She said there exists minimal supervision of clinical areas. She said the image displayed by nurses over the years has been one of concern. Stewart recommended that there is the need for supervision of clinical areas and told the nurses gathered that they should be the judge in determining how professional they are.
The Executive Director of the Guyana Nurses Association told Stabroek News yesterday that the summit is good for the nursing field. She said in her years of experience it was the first time nurses from private and public hospitals have gathered to air their views on the profession. She noted that the summit saw a lot of organizational planning by those who made presentations at yesterday’s opening day.
The summit concludes today when participants will discuss recommendations and strategies on the way forward for nursing in Guyana. This will be followed by an awards ceremony for nurses.
