The first week of May, 2300 registered nurses from 123 countries attended the International Council of Nurses Conference in Malta. We left challenged and charged to act on the innovative ideas presented by this year’s 70 expert presenters. The topics covered were extensive including the massive increase of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), primary care, climate change, disaster nursing, and gender violence. CHMP’s co-director, Diana Mason, delivered the keynote focusing on the conference theme, nurses driving access, quality and health, addressing social determinants of health. She provided insights into how mobile health creates access to health care and selected innovative models of care designed by nurses globally challenging us to think broadly on how we can impact change to increase access and quality care. Mason crafted a powerful visual presentation that provided the backdrop to her engaging, thought-provoking presentation which earned her a standing ovation.
On May 12th the world honored the achievements of nursing on International Nurses Day. In the United States, it stretches into a full week – with National Nurses Week.
On Tuesday, still experiencing a global nursing high and slightly jet-lagged, I headed over to a workshop, Caring for Ourselves, sponsored by a new partnership between the Urban Zen Foundation and Johnson and Johnson’s (JnJ) Campaign for Nursing’s Future. Donna Karan sent her greeting and message by video filmed in Haiti where she is currently volunteering. Andrea Higham, Director of the Johnson and Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future, welcomed the 60 nurse guests, and showed clips of JnJ’s newest public service announcements on nursing. Caring for Ourselves, a day of restoring and healing was led by pioneer holistic nurse leaders Susan Luck, Barbara Dossey and Bonney Gulino Schaub.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJF3yy3xnLs]
Major General Patricia D. Horoho
Janice Flahiff / May 14, 2011
Thank you for the posting (found it thru tag surfer at my WordPress Blog).
There is a link to this at one of my postings
(https://jflahiff.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/world-health-statistics-2011-now-available-online/)
I am sponsoring a person in Liberia who wants to be a nurse. She is now 18 and in junior high, so has a way to go.
But I just keep encouraging her to keep up her studies.
Her family has come a long way. During the 14 years of civil war, her father and mother kept the family together, often they would have to hide in the bush for months on end….But today, thanks to a few non profits, most of the children are going to school, and one is a police officer.
When I returned to Liberia with a group to do service projects (30 years ago I was a Peace Corps volunteer there)…I was able to meet up with my sponsor friend, Betsy, and her parents. Letters are great, but there is nothing like hearing stuff first hand.
Our Liberia service group did health & education outreach at two hospitals, both had nursing schools. One was planning their first graduating class in 14 years! Can you imagine, internal conflict and violence being at such a scale that education came to a stand still!
I am in awe of the nurses in Liberia (ONLY 100 doctors for 3 million people). They are facing chronic conditions, communicable diseases, and poor infrastructure. Yet there are islands of hope. One up country hospital does eye surgeries, and sends hospital personnel to Ghana for continuing education. This hospital is run by the Methodists.
The other hospital we visited was run by the Lutherans. The hospital was destroyed not once, but twice during the 14 years of civil war. The second rebuilding turned out beautifully. The generators at both hospitals ensure electricity about 6 hours a day. I marvel at what both hospitals can do, staff at both hospitals is about 90% Liberian.
But I do digress!
Thanks for posting, and all you do!
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