Many nurses attended the International Nurses and Midwives Day celebrated at AKU. ILLUSTRATION: EXPRESS
KARACHI: Nurses and midwives must upgrade their knowledge with time so that they do not give outdated care to their patients, stressed speakers on Thursday.
They were speaking on International Nurses and Midwives Day that was celebrated at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). Many nurses and midwives listened attentively as the cost-effective and care-effective role of nurses was discussed by the International Council of Nursing (ICN).
AKUH chief executive officer Johannes (Hans) Theodorus Kedzierski highlighted the role of service lines model in nursing. Describing the model, he said that it allows enhanced specialisation and care in the profession.
According to him, it ensures closer coordination, lesser delays and disturbances, better communication and added recognition of the importance of nursing.
He further said that AKUH has 12 service line chief nursing officers. He emphasised the need for nurses and doctors to work as a team.
"Midwifery led model in hospitals preserves the normality of birth," said AKU midwifery programme director Arusa Lakhani. She talked about the fact that nurses are now taking on the role of a practitioner.
AKU medical college undergraduate curriculum committee chairperson Rashida Ahmed shared her experience of the 1980s when lady health workers used to travel on mules for 16 to 18 hours to visit the northern areas and other remote places. According to her, they ate the same food — daal and potatoes — for as long as eight months just to be there for providing healthcare.
Clinical nurse coordinator Komal Sohail, unlike many other nurses of Pakistan, spoke in English.
"We celebrate Nurses Day through this platform so that we can highlight the importance of nurses in our society and our role in improving the health of a community", she said.
AKU nurse instructor Mehwish Shehzad also lauded the effort. "This is the only way you can celebrate our day and recognise our work so that our profession can be seen among other professions in the world."
In the end, a video appreciating the role of nurses in providing healthcare in Pakistan was played. It described nurses as 'Angels Without Wings'.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2015.
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