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April 2007 - Volume 1, Issue
2
6TH
UAE NURSING INITIATIVES CONFERENCE AND 7TH GCC NURSING SYMPOSIUM
Under the patronage of His Excellency
the Minister of Health Humaid Mohamed Al Qatami, the Executive
Board of the Health Ministers' Council for GCC States, the GCC
Technical Nursing Committee and the Ministry of Health, the
Federal Department of Nursing held the 6th UAE Nursing Initiatives
Conference & 7th GCC Nursing Symposium, from the 9th till
11th of January 2007, at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel- Dubai, UAE.
The theme of this event was "Patient Safety.. Nursing
Responsibility".
In
his opening speech, H.E. Humaid Mohamed Al Qatami welcomed
the distinguished guests, the Director General of the Executive
Board of the Health Ministers' Council for GCC States, the
WHO representatives, the GCC Technical Nursing Committee,
the Emirates Nursing Association representatives, the organizers
of the event and all the audience. H.E. highlighted the importance
of the event's theme globally and emphasized the nurses' role
in promoting Patient Safety as a highest priority in the international
Health Care Systems and particularly in the GCC. His Excellency
was looking forward to the recommendations and strategies
that will stem from this important event, to guide the Health
Care Services in facing the future challenges and raising
the quality of the Health Services provided in the regional
community.
The
launching of the initiative 'Patient Safety Friendly Hospitals'
by H.E. the Minister of Health took place during this event.
This initiative came as an affirmation of the theme adopted
by the Health Ministers Board for the GCC "Safety
and Security of Patients a major component of Quality Health
Care" in the 57th Conference (Geneva, May, 2005).
The opening ceremony included acknowledging
distinguished nurses from the GCC, the guest speakers and
the organizers of the event. In addition, selected nurses
from the GCC were given the 2006 'Nusaiba Bint Kaab'
Nursing Award for their contributions and dedication to their
profession.
The event was attended by more than
500 delegates including GCC nurses, Ministry of Health officials
and nurse delegates from all over the Emirates.
The objectives
of this event focused on:
- Enhancing
the nurses' awareness of the concept and scope of Patients'
Safety.
- Sharing
GCC nurses' research and initiatives that foster Patients'
Safety.
-
Identifying barriers to safe practice in the health care
settings in GCC countries.
- Developing
unified goals and strategies that highlight and guide the
role of the nurses toward improving Patients' Safety in
the GCC countries.
- Discussing WHO and GCC Patient
Safety strategies.
The
valued Guest speakers of the event included Dr. Tawfik Khoja
Director General of the Executive Board of the Health Ministers'
Council for GCC States, Dr. Fariba Al Darazi Regional Advisor
for Nursing and Allied Health Personnel at the EMRO office
in the WHO, Dr. Ahmed Abdellatif WHO Coordinator of Health
Systems and Regional Advisor for Health Care Delivery, Mrs.
Dee May Clinical and Managing Director of Infection Control
Solution Ltd, Mrs. Fatima Abdulwahed Nursing Consultant
of the Minister of Health in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mrs.
Ghada Al Barakati Consultant of the Minister of Health of
the UAE for Strategic Issues, and Mrs. Fatima Al Rifai Director
of the Federal Department of Nursing. They captured the audience
with a number of inspiring presentations emphasizing Patient
Safety from different perspectives.
Furthermore twenty five nurses presented
remarkable scientific papers during the first two days of
the event and each country of the GCC reported on their initiatives
and activities in relation to Patient Safety.
This event embraced as well a graduation
ceremony for the participants of the 2nd phase of the 'Leadership
For Change Program'. The participants and their mentors
were acknowledged by H.E. Dr. Ali Ahmed Bin Shaker the Undersecretary
of the Ministry Of Health. The graduates of the program presented
their final teams' projects.
On the third day a successful workshop
was conducted for all GCC delegates. The workshop captured
the essence of the topics presented during the first two days
by setting the basis for a comprehensive strategy for Patients'
Safety in GCC.
The following recommendations
came out from this important event:
- To enhance the nurses role and
the importance of team work among the health care professionals,
in Patient Safety programs for the purpose of reducing errors
and health care associated risks in the Ministry of Health
facilities, and other Health Care Authorities in the GCC
countries.
- To conduct nursing research and
evidence based studies on Patient Safety, and utilize the
findings in strategic plans to meet the future health care
need requirements in the GCC countries.
- To include in the nursing curricula,
continuing education and orientation programs the concept
and principles of Patient Safety.
- To develop a nursing plan for
increasing awareness among clients, nursing workforce and
society as a whole, on the importance and concept of Patient
Safety. This shall be done in cooperation with the concerned
media bodies, and shall be included in the strategic plan
of every GCC country.
- To cooperate effectively with
the WHO and the World Alliance for Patient Safety, and communicate
with the regional and global centers to benefit from their
expertise.
- To prepare a strategic nursing
plan for Patient Safety by the GCC technical nursing committee,
based on the workshop's outcomes and in line with the GCC
executive plan that aims at adopting & implementing
the Regional Strategy for Patient Safety [Decree (#1)
conference (#61) for the Health Ministers Board for the
GCC countries].
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