Nurses, Midwives deliberate on ethical/legal implications of their attitudes

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana has warned that any nurse or midwife found teaching in any unauthorised health institutions will have his or her certificate withdrawn. Mr Felix Nyante, the acting Registrar of the Council issued the warning in Takoradi and said nursing is a unique and technical profession that deals with human health therefore requires qualified and competent people to impart the required knowledge to others. He said the fact that they have passed through the nursing or midwifery training does not warrant them to impart the knowledge to people unless they obtained further training. Mr Nyante gave the warning at the closing ceremony of a two- day workshop organised for 145 nurses and midwives drawn the hospitals, clinics, nursing and midwifery training schools in the Western Region. The workshop aimed at updating the knowledge and sharpens the skills of the participants for effective and efficient service delivery at their respective health institutions. It was also to build their capacity for them to become competent ward managers, assume special responsibility when caring for the sick as well as re-orientate them on their legal responsibilities in the practice of nurses and midwifery. Mr Nyante noted that nursing is a noble profession and entreated practitioners to go about their duties in accordance with the code of ethics and good human relations in order to build confidence in patients to attend health centres to seek treatment. He noted that the work of nurses and midwives in recent times has gained criticism therefore their positive attitudes towards patients or clients would erode this negative perception. It was important that they refreshed their skills on the ethical and legal implication of their attitudes, thereby guaranteeing the highest quality of nursing and midwifery care to the public. The Acting Registrar said to put the practitioners on their toes, the Council is intensifying its supervisory role over them while names of practitioners of good standing would be published for others to emulate. Mr Nyante rewarded two nurses who had wanted to dress in their religious attire to the workshop but they willingly changed over for the required official uniform after being educated. He gave each person GHC50.00 for not challenging the authority that criticised their initial dressing and urged them to translate this into their work to understand the pain that the sick goes through for prompt attention. The participants expressed appreciation to the organisers for the programme as it has refreshed their minds on their mandate and assured of working accordingly.