They are on the frontline in hospitals and they are the backbone of the healthcare industry. But for all the groundwork they do, nurses remain in the background with little recognition. That changed just a little today as part of Nurses' Week, 9 of the healthcare professionals at the KHMH were honored for their service at an awards lunch. The hospital's Nursing Director Ivorine Bulwer Hemmans, who despite getting her MBA is still a practicing nurse, says they are focusing on nurses who have to adapt to their changing roles.
Ivorine Bulwer Hemmans, Dir. of Nursing, KHMH
"As nurses we are the frontliners in health. We administer medication and some nurses that are in the expanded role they prescribe medication. The theme wants to look at our role in ensuring that our patients receive safe medication. To ensure that our patients receive safe medication we have to take on a vigilant role of monitoring for counterfeit: looking at the labeling, looking at the packaging, educating our patients not to buy over the counter medication, education our patients not to buy from unauthorized pharmacies because we have in some of the regular businesses they are selling medication and that should not be. So we need to educate our patients about the effects and the consequences if do purchase medication like that over the counter. However this week we are not only focusing on that theme because we have issues that we need to deal with also. We are looking at the impact of this health sector reform on nursing. We are looking at the issues of nursing migration to try and retain our nurses in the country. And as part of that strategy what we are having here today is to give recognition to those people who are here taking the forefront."
Kareen Birch who works in the Pediatric Ward at the KHMH was picked as nurse of the year. There are about 160 nurses at the KHMH.
