The Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Mrs. Judith Naa Klorkor Asiamah, has urged the government to adequately invest in nurses and midwives in the country in order for them to put in maximum effort to care for the sick and vulnerable in society.
Mrs. Asiamah advocated for investment in nurses, particularly those in rural communities, by increasing salaries, providing accommodation and uniform allowances, and providing better support during rainy seasons.
She believes that government incentives could go a long way towards motivating nurses and midwives, thereby ensuring effective and efficient service delivery.
“We just want to say that it’s high time for us as a country to invest in nurses so that they will be able to give out the utmost care that is expected of them.”
“And this investment can go a long way towards affecting the salaries and conditions of service of nurses and midwives. We can all attest to the fact that some nurses are leaving [abroad], but some are also staying, so we have to invest in them. We make sure that they ensure better conditions of life, and I am sure that when we do that, it will help the work they do to strive,” she said.
She made this known during a panel discussion organised by UGMC on Tuesday as part of the International Nurses and Midwives Week Celebration in honour of Florence Nightingale (12 May 1820–13 August 1910), a British nurse and reformer who is considered the founder of modern nursing.
The theme for the discussion was “The Role of Nurses and Midwives in Maintaining Standards of Care.”
On the exodus of Ghanaian nurses and midwives abroad, Mrs. Asiamah implored her colleague professionals who have left to consider returning their expertise to help their mother’s land, given the investments the country has made in them.
She disclosed to The Sikaman Times some of the activities marking the week-long celebration, including a formal launch of the Nurse and Midwives Week Celebration on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, and a dinner on Friday, May 31, 2024, both at the MTSC Auditorium of UGMC.
Mrs. Asiamah used the occasion to thank all the nurses and midwives in the country, particularly those at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, for their dedicated service over the few years since its establishment.
A retired nursing officer and broadcast journalist, Apostle Dr. Nii Teiko Tagoe, who was the keynote speaker for the day, observed that nurses and midwives are human beings and may experience stress, although many people feel otherwise.
Aps. Dr. Tagoe emphasised that nurses and midwives play a crucial role in healthcare, but society often overlooks their humanity and stress levels, adding that they may be fallible and face societal criticism for failing, leading to a negative perception of their work.
“We often forget that the nurses are also human beings and that they have their own challenges that confront them, and we see them as superhumans who aren’t fallible, and when they fail us, then we go after them, so my focus today is to ensure that nurses have a clear conscience and are able to work effectively despite what life throws at them from all sides,” he said.
He revealed that he has taken it upon himself to educate nurses to maintain a clean heart and pure mind amidst stress at home and work while still being efficient and delivering their best to stakeholders.
He asserted further that stress is a part of life, and its solution is to manage, reduce, or stand against it by diligently working despite its presence.
“You can never take yourself away from stress. Stress is part of life and is normal, but how you can reduce your stressors is what is essential. The things that bring stress, how do you stand them? For instance, as a nurse, someone will annoy you, sickness will come, and you are in Ghana. Things are hard, and all these will stress you, so yes, as a nurse, you will go through stress, but managing stress is very important, and that is why we are doing education to help them be grounded and firm because if nurses are sick, it will adversely affect the entire health system,” Aps. Dr. Tagoe explained.
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