impho Sello
The Deputy Minister of Health, Nthabiseng Makoae, says the continued “revitalisation” of the nursing profession helps strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
Dr Makoae was speaking at a workshop held yesterday for student nurses who will soon graduate from the Maluti Adventist School of Nursing and National Health Training College (NHTC).
The workshop, whose theme was: A Call to Serve- Professional Revitalisation for Student Nurse Midwives, was held at the Lehakoe Recreational and Cultural Centre in Maseru, and sought to fully prepare the departing students for their professional practice.
Dr Makoae reminded the students to uphold professional ethics, and be prepared for the ever-evolving nursing trends.
“There are always new health trends which all nurses should be aware of in order to keep up with the new demands of the profession. These days, our communities are very knowledgeable about these emerging trends. We should therefore expect a lot of questions from patients and it is up to us to also keep learning through research and information-sharing to be able to provide answers,” Dr Makoae said.
She added while the nurses are expected to also do all they can to enhance their knowledge, relevant organisations should also come up with innovations to support this augmentation.
“We want our nurses to become real experts, professionals who can work under pressure and are competent enough to work with minimum supervision.”
Speaking at the same workshop, the Nurse Advisor for the Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI), Tšepiso Makoa, said nurses should be approachable and behave responsibly to earn the respect of their communities.
Ms Makoa further said because nurses work in various environments and meet different patients, they should come up with strategies to deal with different challenges.
“It is not professional to have an attitude that is judgmental of patients.
“What is important is to understand that the patients can also contribute to their treatment because they are the ones who understand their bodies and pain.
“That is why good communication is of utmost importance, ” she said, further emphasising the importance of providing personalised care.
“It is important to understand that patients are also human beings and can be sensitive when it comes to discussing certain issues.
“We should therefore, be patient, respect their views and also try to understand where they are coming from. That way, we can achieve good treatment outcomes.”
