Health Profession Faces Manpower Shortage
By Khairunnisa Ibrahim

Bandar Seri Begawan - The minister of health has called for an integrated, comprehensive approach to workforce planning and the adoption of appropriate human resource policies to produce the requisite amount of healthcare professionals who can deliver the highest standard of healthcare needed by the population.

In his address at the closing of the seventh International Biennial Nursing Conference here yesterday, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Suyoi Osman remarked that the nursing profession - which includes nurses and midwives - had a global positive impact in terms of healthcare, such as reducing maternal, child and infant mortality rates and improving vaccination rates.

However, the nursing profession faced several serious challenges, including severe labour shortage, in equal distribution of nurses within and between nations, and difficulty of estimating future requirements for healthcare services due to lack of essential information, he said.

Therefore, gathering data on the current labour force, its dynamics and behaviours was necessary for an informed decision-making process, Pehin Suyoi said. He also called for the relevant authorities, especially those in the health ministry, to establish a National Nursing and Midwifery Human Resource Minimum'Dataset to provide the latest information on nurses and midwives in the country.

This minimum dataset, regularly updated and supported by accessible information system, could then serve as a platform for a formal and comprehensive approach to workforce planning at the local, national and regional levels.

In addition to planning, the education and training processes that were available should also be able to provide personnel with the skills that the health service would need, the minister noted.

As the face and backbone of the health system, these healthcare professionals interacted with the public in a variety of roles across the life span from birth to death, dispense valuable advice on healthcare and were responsible for maintaining a safe and patient-centred care environment. "They should ensure that patients receive adequate nourishment, enforce infection control practices, and prevent hazards such as improper disposal of needles," he said.

The minister said the role and responsibilities of nurses had constantly been changing over 140 years. Nurses were now growing out of their traditional roles, and forced to incorporate advances and innovations in their practices as demand for quality care and medical costs were increasing.

"A nurse is expected to be autonomous, skilled, whose role is not merely to serve other professionals, but to be proactive in informing, supporting and caring for the patient and the community, and participate in research and evidence-based decision-making."

Just as the role of nursing has been transforming over time, nursing education in Brunei Darussalam has also evolved over the last 10 years, the minister said. He remarked that from an apprentice model, the country's nursing education system then moved to a diploma model, and it is hoped that in the near future, a degree education in nursing would be established to produce more highly qualified, skilled professionals.

The three-day conference, which focused on innovation in nursing and midwifery and their impact on clients or patient care, featured several invited speakers comprising local and foreign experts from Australia, Canada, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, China and the United Kingdom.

In all, fob, keynote addresses and 19 papers were presented on various aspects of the nursing field, and several workshops were conducted where participants were involved in simulations and exercises to enhance their understanding and knowledge of nursing. Four guest speakers from Australia, Canada and Philippines also delivered keynote addresses during the opening and closing ceremonies and the welcome dinner.

According to a final year nursing student, who identified himself as Elvis, the conference had provided a positive learning experience for himself and fellow student nurses.

The wide range of topics presented during the course of the conference, presented by not only local but also foreign experts, helped broaden their views of the nursing profession.  -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with