By Kadrie Koroma
Freetown, Nov. 9, 015 (MOHS) – The Ministry of Health and Sanitation Directorate of Nursing Services has organized a week long workshop on the development of standards in Nursing Education and Midwifery practice for Senior Nurses drawn from the districts and western area.
Cross section of participants
The Senior Nurses include Matrons, Nurse Tutors, District Health Sisters and Midwives.
Held at the YWCA New hall in Freetown on Monday November 9, 2015, the workshop aimed at creating a common understanding of the national health and human resource needs for the country, and the need to regulate the education and practice for nursing and midwifery services.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer 1, Dr. Sarian Kamara described the workshop as timely and important. She lauded the efforts of the Nurses in the fight to end the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and encouraged them to remain committed in the discharge of their duties.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sarian Kamara making the opening address
She expressed the need to ensure the welfare of health workers and patients safety in hospitals and other health facilities, hoping that nurses would continue to use the infection, prevention and control practice as part of their precautionary measures and assured them of the ministry’s commitment towards improving their career.
The WHO Reproductive and Maternal Child Health Team Lead, Dr. Heidi Jalloh-Vos reiterated the need for improvement in the maternal and child mortality indicator and standards in the nursing profession to get quality health care delivery services for mothers and children.
WHO Reproductive and Maternal Child Health Team Lead, Dr. Heidi Jalloh-Vos
She hoped that participants at the end of the workshop would be able to develop the Nursing Education and Practice Guidelines, and encouraged them to share the knowledge gain to others.
The Chief Nursing Officer, Matron Hosssinatu Kanu underscored the importance of the nursing profession and the crucial role played in the fight to end the Ebola epidemic in the country.
Chief Nursing Officer, Matron Hossinatu Kanu
She told participants that the Directorate of Nursing Services for the past two years have been working to develop a policy and strategy for nurses and midwives with different components, adding that they have also reviewed the curriculum and scheme for nurses.
Matron Kanu said plans are currently underway to open two more midwifery schools in the eastern and southern region Sierra Leone, adding that with the change in nomenclature, nurses would now be trained as midwives to fill the gaps at Peripheral Health Units.
She the workshop would enable them to review relevant frameworks and standards for education and practice, and to develop and adapt standards for nursing and midwifery education and practice in Sierra Leone
The Registrar, Nurses and Midwives Board of Sierra Leone, Hannah Valcarcel underscored the importance of standards in nursing and map out strategy for the improvement in the profession.
Registrar, Nurses and Midwives Board of Sierra Leone, Hannah Valcarcel
She called for cordial relationship between the tutors and the students to improve their knowledge in the clinical settings, especially the Public Health students.
Other speakers include the Manager, Human Resource for Health, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Mr. Emile Koroma.
KK/MOHS/SLENA
