‘National Nursing Forum to be established’

Islamabad: Recognising the integral role of nurses in the health system, the government has decided to establish a National Nursing Forum to be housed within the Ministry of Health.A national meeting of stakeholders will soon be organized to unveil the mission of the said forum.

Federal Health Minister Muhammad Yusuf Shaikh made an announcement to this effect here through a press release describing how, as health professionals who are closest to the community, nurses they have a role in developing new models of community-based care and supporting local efforts to promote health and prevent disease. “The Ministry will provide a platform for functioning of the forum and will make efforts to bring recommendations to policies,” Yusuf Shaikh stated. The Forum will improve health by raising the profile of nurses; influencing policymakers and supporting nurses themselves to lead, learn and build a global movement;empower nurses to become role models and leaders;breaking taboos about the nursing profession by promoting females to join the profession; fosteringcollegial support by sharing of tools and resources.

The Ministry will also support and formulate Sub-National Groups to carry forward the objectives. Provincial meetings involving local nursing societies will also be organized. “Deliberationswill be held to enhance the status of nursing profession through incentivization involvement of nurses in policy making and image making,” Yusuf added. Mximizing nurses’ contributions will obviously require that they are properly deployed, valued and included in policy and decision-making.

The forum will work in collaboration with Nursing Now global initiative, which aims at working with partners around the world to advocate for more nurses in leadership positions to help nurses achieve the influence they deserve. It will also help nurses access better education and training, while supporting them to share research and evidence of effective practice.

Nursing Now will encourage health leaders to invest in nursing and introduce new models of care that maximize nurses’ contributions to achieving Universal Health Coverage, which would guarantee everyone the right to quality health care without financial hardship.