HYDERABAD: The International Nursing Research Conference 2022 on Friday began at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro at Lateef Hall.
While addressing a large number of participants from all over the country at the inaugural secession of the conference, the Vice Chancellor LUMHS Prof. Dr. Ikram Din Ujjan said that Conference was one of the most unique and important events in order to pay tribute to all respectable nurses and those who are affiliated with this noble profession of nursing.
He said that the theme for International Nurses Day 2022 was “A Voice to lead-invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health”.
This theme highlights the need to invest in nursing and respect the rights of nurses in order to build a high quality health system to meet the needs of individuals and community, he added.
The Vice Chancellor informed that currently several important reports have addressed the issues facing the nursing profession, such as global nursing shortage, lack of protection, and increasing workloads, all of which have led to many calls for investment in the nursing workforce in order to meet healthcare needs.
He emphasized more concentration in nursing education to continue to address current challenges and the increasing health demands of the population, adopting new technologies and collaborating across the various sectors, for which, he said it is essential that nurses should have a solid educational foundation. This includes undergraduate,
postgraduate qualification and continuing professional development as such investment will be a great catalyst for positive transformation in the health care system, he said.
He said that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of ensuring a sufficient number of the health workforce in building resilient health systems. “We must address the shortage in the health workforce, especially in nurses and midwives in our region to raise up to such unforeseen challenges”, he said.
He emphasized to encourage health systems to place a high value on nursing education and revise the curriculum of nursing according to the needs and to develop the road map of post-graduation of nurses in different specialties.
He informed that the conference aims to bring together the national and international experts to discuss various current health care practices, concerns and challenges.
The Director Nursing Peoples School of Nursing LUMHS Parveen Akhtar said that it was a great honor that the Department of Nursing has arranged the International Nursing Research Conference 2022 first ever in the history of LUMHS.
She said that Nurses are insightful, creative and passionate about patient care, and their perspective is invaluable because they spend more time with patients than anyone else. As we advocate for patients, our voices influence positive changes for the professionals and, ultimately, that improves the quality of health care.
She said the healthcare system must prioritize investing in nurses based on measurable, transparent and realistic actions to build a highly qualified and resilient nursing workforce that can respond to the changing contexts and needs of the population and ensure health for all.
Earlier Prof. Dr. Rozina Karmaliani, Dean Nursing Aga Khan University Karachi, Prof, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Associate Dean Research and Innovation, Aga Khan University Karachi and Alia Nasir, Director School of Nursing, Hamdard University Karachi delivered lectures on the subject as Keynote Speakers.
The two days conference will conclude tomorrow with speeches of national and international scholars.