International Nurses Day 2022: Investing in Nursing - a priority for securing global health

Nurses own a vital role in the global healthcare systems, and tirelessly provide care to all, irrespective of whether the patient has an infectious disease, mental disorder, chronic condition, or other health disorders. Masking up and donning layers of protective gear, the nurses have been standing by their patients throughout the pandemic, even with lockdowns, new variants, or covid peaks. Their selfless service to humankind during the most trying times of the covid-19 pandemic was heart-warming. Therefore, all of us rightly equate nurses to warriors who risk their own lives to keep their oath of service.
 
Started by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Nurses Day is celebrated every May 12^th, on Florence Nightingale’s birthday. This time, the theme for the special day is "Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health." This year's theme is significant to begin discussions around this topic, bringing focus to the need to invest in nursing to develop a resilient, highly qualified nursing workforce and highlighting the protection of nurses' rights. As we know, only a robust health system can secure global health.
 
Enough data and evidence suggest the global nursing workforce is understaffed, underpaid, and often overlooked. As per the report “The State of the World 2020”, complied by WHO & ICN, there is a global shortage of 5.9 million nurses. To boost the morale of the existing workforce and bridge the shortfall of nurses worldwide, WHO and ICN have suggested recommendations for governments worldwide. The following recommendations aim to strengthen nursing as a profession, advance nursing practice, and educate the nursing workforce for the future:
 

• Increase funding to educate nurses and increase the workforce;
• Enhance capability to collect, analyze and act on data related to the health workforce;
• Monitor nurse mobility and migration and manage it responsibly and ethically;
• Educate and train nurses in the scientific, technological and sociological skills they need to drive progress in primary health care; 
• Establish leadership positions, including a government chief nurse, and support leadership development among young nurses;
• Ensure that nurses in primary health care teams work to their full potential, for example, in preventing and managing non-communicable diseases;
• Improve working conditions, including through safe staffing levels, fair salaries, and respecting rights to occupational health and safety; 
• Implement gender-sensitive nursing workforce policies;
• Modernize professional nursing regulation by harmonizing education and practice standards and using systems that can recognize and process nurses' credentials globally; and
• Strengthen the role of nurses in care teams by bringing different sectors (health, education, immigration, finance, and labor) together with nursing stakeholders for policy dialogue and workforce planning. ¹

 
3B Scientific’s mission is to advance the delivery of medical and healthcare education globally through high quality and affordable nursing skills & patient care simulators
 
As an organization with a vision to assist medical education with its high-quality simulators and trainers, 3B Scientific has developed a wide range of nursing skill trainers and simulators. Our trainers give nurses a realistic hands-on experience and increase their confidence to handle real patient care scenarios. Whether basic or advanced care, our trainers ensure that nurses can develop a comprehensive set of skills in their area of specialization.
 
From everyone at 3B Scientific: Happy International Nurses Day!
 
 
 
 

References:
¹ https://www.who.int/news/item/07-04-2020-who-and-partners-call-for-urgent-investment-in-nurses