Health MEC tells nurses to go back to basics
International Nurses Day is commemorated today, Saturday, 12 May.
WITH International Nurses Day being commemorated today, Saturday, 12 May, KZN Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo has thanked all hard-working nurses in the province, and urged all nurses to go back to basics in the provision of healthcare.
Dhlomo was speaking at a meeting in Durban which was held to consolidate the Department’s plans to utilize the skills and expertise of retired nurses in a bid to improve the quality of healthcare service across the province.
ALSO READ: Dhlomo reflects on Freedom Day
Addressing a group of current and retired nurses and Department officials, Dhlomo described nurses as advocates for patient care, saying that the current generation could learn a lot from their retired predecessors.We need to look at what has gone wrong and go back to those basics where nurses were the foundation of love, empathy and care.
“Throughout the world, if you complain about a poor health system, you would improve that system if you bring back to basics the role that is to be played by nurses. The nurse is an ambassador for patient care. The nurse is the main person that comes in the middle of discussions and advises because the patient stays longer with a nurse than any other health professionals,” said Dhlomo.
He said the doctor comes for a limited period, so does a pharmacist, but the nurse stays for eight hours and will be followed by another nurse when the shift ends.
“Therefore, if you want to take care of patients and have them satisfied, we need to listen to nurses. The nurses themselves need to bring back that leadership quality that once was there. We have to go back to basics, where nurses used to be at the forefront of taking care in providing care and empathy to patients,” he said.
Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
