Nursing as a noble profession that touches the life of a person, from birth to death.
During the recent International Nurses Day celebration, a lot was said about the roles and responsibilities of nurses but most of all nursing officers were thanked and acknowledged by their superiors in the profession.
Nurses are seen as the assistants to medical officers in the health field, however in PNG it is usually a nurse or a community health worker who is on end to provide healthcare, especially in remote rural communities.
Sr. Carol Hosea, Director of Nursing at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) was among those, who advocated for better support to nurses.
She said, “Nursing requires strong leadership. Nurse leaders must be equipped with the knowledge, strategies and strength to lead and manage health services into the healthier future for all populations. We must invest in nurse leaders and enhance their contribution to health services and to participate effectively in health policy development and decision making.”
Sister Hosea encouraged all nurses to work together to combat COVID-19 and contribute more effectively to build a stronger healthy future for all.
“It is through the quality care we provide it will demonstrate the difference for nursing in every level of care internally, externally, and globally. Your work over the last year has save many lives,” she said.
PMGH Director Medical Services, Dr. Kone Sobi, said as level 7 teaching hospital he believes it needs to have its own curriculum for both nurses as well as other medical profession but especially for nurses.
He added, “I think in particular for nurses because that gives them the added power and empowerment so that they can increase their career pathway. There is a clear career pathway for nurses in this hospital. It could be used as a hub for the national nursing teaching.”
PNG Nurses Association General Secretary, Gibson Siune praised the nursing professionals for being the only profession that touches people from all walks of life from the womb to the tomb.
“And when they die, we cry with them, we clean them up the way we brought them into the world, and we send them to the unknown. And that makes nursing a unique profession and we place our hands from the womb to the tomb like no other profession has ever done,” he said.