Nurses: A voice to Lead (to commemorate International Nurses Day)
Traditionally, nurses were seen as doctor’s assistants, and their education was mainly focused on technical skills. However, in recent years, the spectrum of nursing educational programs has expanded with focus on coordinating patient care and critical-thinking skills. Nurses are now responsible for following up with patients, maintaining records, monitoring patient’s condition and much more and play a crucial role well beyond the hospital.
At Texila American University, Zambia (TAU) therefore, the purpose of commemorating International Nurses Day for Texila Knowledge Talk Series was to create awareness about the importance of a nurse’s role in healthcare in Zambia and around the world.
Texila Knowledge Talk Series: The Event
On May 31st, 2018, at TAU, we organized the third event of Texila Knowledge Talk Series and were privileged to have Mr. Thom D Yun’gana, Manager for Regulations and Compliance, General Nursing Council of Zambia to share his knowledge and expertise on the nursing profession. The talk provided a common platform for different stakeholders to celebrate and felicitate nurses for their contribution in providing healthcare services to all.
Speaker Mr. Thom D Yun’gana on International Nurses Day: Key Highlights
In modern times, no discussion on nursing can go without the mention of Forence Nightingale or as she was popularly known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, often regarded as the founder of modern nursing (Wikipedia). Our discussion at the talk series did justice to that and continued discussing the contemporary situation of nursing in Zambia and around the world. Some of the key highlights included:
- History of International Nurses Day
- Importance of clinical training for nurses
- Emphasis on why nursing schools should prioritize clinical training in curriculum
- Texila American University’s initiative to promote nursing education through its quality nursing programs.
Once again, the day ended on a positive note, with participants discussing ideas and solutions collectively.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) report, there is a deficit of 2.4 million nurses in Africa. Africa has only 2.3 nurses per 1000 people. An alarming yet true situation. The shortage of trained nurses in Africa is a pressing concern, and governments and healthcare organizations are doing their bit to bring a positive improvement to the scenario.
A practical and achievable solution to this problem is to have home-grown nurses. A demand for studying nursing in Zambia has been on the rise and both government and private universities are playing important roles in providing nursing education. We are sure, that with timely awareness, education and opportunities, improvements will occur.
P.S. The talk was presented by Mr. Thom D Yun’gana, on behalf of Dr. Aaron Banda, Registrar and CEO, General Nursing Council of Zambia who could not make it to the event due to urgent commitments.
Texila American University is a leading private medical university in Zambia offering diverse programs across medicine (MBChB), public health, nursing and more.
