Nurses asked to work hard to improve the falling standards

Mr. Kweku Asante-Krobea, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA) on Wednesday appealed to nurses and midwives to adopt best practices that made the nursing profession a toast for all.

He said the time had come for a paradigm shift in the nursing and the midwifery practice in order to restore its fortunes and give it a future.

Mr. Asante-Krobea made the call at the four-day ninth annual delegate conference of the General Nurses’ Group under the theme: “Improving Productivity in Healthcare; The Role of the Clinical Nurse” currently underway in Takoradi in the Western Region.

The conference brought together delegates from all the 10 regions of the country to deliberate on and take stock on the performance of practitioners, as well as ways of improving clinical nursing care.

He said the GRNA was challenged in its bid to restore the lost prestige, as well as stemming the ebbing dignity of the profession.

The GNRA President called on practitioners to “therefore brace the path where the gallant ones of yester years have trod to establish the uniqueness of nursing and midwifery and restore the nightingale philosophy of action in dignity”.

Mr. Asante-Krobea said there was the need to improve commitment to sacrifice and uphold the profession as an unmatched value to meet expectation of both employers and the clients.

He said to improve service delivery, there was the need for the clinical nurse to demonstrate high level of competence in holistic care, apply new and innovative ways in attending to patients, advocate for quality healthcare, as well as foster a culture that promoted quality in the nursing environment.

He said the general nurse has the opportunity to play a central role in transforming the healthcare system to create more accessible, high quality and value driven environment for clients that requires reading wide and broadening their knowledge base in service delivery.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minister of Health, said the ministry would continue to improve facility, train more critical health staff and provide comprehensive emergency services.

He said it was also working to strengthen the human resource governance and main middle level production of 2,500 nurses and urged them to continue to make themselves relevant in the achievement of healthcare results.

Mr. Bagbin cautioned the general nurse that the status-quo in clinical care was being challenged daily and urged them to rethink in attitude, style and the commitment of the nursing profession.

Dr. Mrs. Linda Van Otoo, Western Regional Director of Health Service, called on clinical nurses to exhibit professionalism and politeness towards their patients as that psychologically relaxes them.

Mr. Alfred Addy, Acting Chairman of the General Nurses Group, called on the government to provide modern digital equipment in health facilities as opposed to manual ones, which sometimes did not ensure accuracy in data collection of clients.