Nepali nurses have saved thousands of lives and given new lives to millions of people in rural areas despite all odds
More than 70,000 nursing professionals are legally registered with National Nursing Council of Nepal. Nursing professionals are the key actors of Nepali health care system. Their knowledge, skills and decisions determine the quality of health care. They are equally responsible for preventive and curative health care. Thus, too unleash potentials of nursing professionals and motivate them, Nursing Association of Nepal (NAN), in collaboration with Eastern Research Institute of Positive Science (ERIPS), recently conducted Appreciative Inquiry Training (AIT) as a part of Nursing Now Campaigns to 1600 nurses. The main objective was to transfer the transformational change skill through the application of AIT and make them able to re-invent the positive opportunities in very adverse and challenging situations.
Appreciative inquiry is all about searching the positive cores and strengths and envisioning inspirational opportunities for future action. It is a co-evolutionary approach that strives to bring out the best in the people, organization, family and everyone around for positive and inspirational future. It also inspires people to search for the life giving forces in any adverse situations. Appreciative inquiry approach connects different actions positively.
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Nepali nurses are responsible for accomplishing important works in their personal and professional life both in favorable and adverse situations. The skill, attitude and mindset of nurses determine the dignified quality cares offered to the patients. They need to know how to search for the life giving forces. Appreciative Inquiry teaches them to search the positive cores and life giving forces in any adverse situation.
“Nursing Now” Campaign is a three-year global campaign (2018-2020), which aims to improve the public health and overall health condition by raising the profile and status of nursing worldwide. It focuses on five core areas that include creating conducive environment so that nurses and midwives have a more prominent voice in health policy-making process, encouraging greater investment in the nursing workforce, recruiting more nurses into leadership positions, conducting research that helps determine where nurses can have the greatest impact and sharing the best nursing practices.
This is the age of knowledge, skill and wisdom. The quality of health care depends on the knowledge, skill, attitude and wisdom of nursing professionals as well as an investment on nursing sectors. To fulfill all the demands of service seekers, the nurses have to be accountable and empathetic. The updated knowledge and information, capacity to understand the clients’ emotions, skill to connect emotionally, readiness and willingness for all time service, innovative ways of thinking and doing and the skill to use the latest technologies are fundamentals to empowering nurses.
In Nepal, huge numbers of qualified and skillful human resources are associated with nursing sector. If the country, together with non-governmental organizations and private sectors, can unleash the potentials of nursing sector, Nepal’s health sector will drastically improve. The nurses of the country need the warm guardianship from the government and beneficiary communities. The government and private sectors should ensure them professional growth opportunities, reasonable payments, appropriate working places, respect and physical and professional securities.
Nepali nurses have saved thousands of lives. They have given new lives to millions of people in rural areas despite the fact that the places they work in—health posts, public health service centers and district hospitals—have limited facilities and inadequate resources and equipments. Women in rural areas do not feel comfortable sharing in their problems with outsiders. These nurses talk to them gently and politely and diagnose their conditions and treat them. They have successfully diagnosed and treated complicated conditions such as uterus prolapse, fistula disorder, bleeding and various seasonal diseases. They have also spread awareness among the people in the process.
As they save lives, their contribution for humanity is unparalleled. This is the potential sector for world-class recognition. If we think the life above all, nursing sector deserves the highest respect and recognition. Nepali nurses have the potential to become the best among the world if they are provided additional skills they need.
Thus, everyone needs to understand and acknowledge the contribution Nepali nurses have made for our society. Nursing is the ultimate way to improve the public health of our country. Government must increase investment in this sector and academic institutions need to change the strategy to provide the world-class nursing education in Nepal. If government can supply the required number of nurses in all villages, the country will be free from seasonal communicable diseases and reproductive health will be significantly improved.
Email: erips_rc@outlook.com
