On the occasion of International Nurses Day, celebrated worldwide every May 12thâthe anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birthâwe would like to remember the important work these healthcare professionals do and thank them for their valuable service in caring for the sick.
This year, 2018, the International Council of Nurses has chosen the theme "Nursing: A Voice to Lead â Health is a Human Right." Its president, Annette Kennedy, emphasized that: "All over the world, people and communities suffer from illness and disease due to a lack of accessible and affordable health care. However, we must remember that the right to health also applies to nurses! We know that improved quality and safety for patients depends on positive work environments for staff, which includes the right to a safe working environment, adequate remuneration, and access to resources and education."
As many of you know, Juan Ciudad ONGD is a development organization created by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God (OHSJD) in Spain. It works in the social and healthcare fields through international cooperation, paying special attention to the right to health and promoting access for all people to social and healthcare services. Its scope of action is the most disadvantaged regions on the planet.
For this reason, we want to make special mention today of the nursing team, which is so necessary for our counterparts, the OHSJD centers in the impoverished countries where we operate in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Specifically, we have nearly 50 hospitals, health centers, and clinics where the work of nurses is crucial. They are part of the teams that care for people of all ages, without distinction, from birth through all stages of life.
In addition, nursing is also present in other types of centers, such as those serving people with disabilities, mental illnesses, the homeless, and vulnerable people, which would add up to a total of nearly 90 OHSJD centers in disadvantaged regions.
But since the shortage of specialized personnel is one of the challenges facing most of the countries where our counterparts are located, today we want to introduce you to the Nursing School that the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God has in Sierra Leone, West Africa.
A 300-student center, which opened its doors on October 1, 2007, to the first 43 students enrolled in the State-Registered Community Health Nursing program at the Saint John of God Catholic School of Nursing in Mabessehen, Lunsar, adjacent to Saint John of God Hospital in Sierra Leone.
At the beginning of this great adventure, the School had three teaching staff members; currently, there are five full-time professors with 213 students enrolled in the three-year Nursing Program.
With a vision to become a leading center for training the next generation of nurses, it employs innovative techniques to provide excellence in patient care, nursing education, and research.
Therefore, the Brothers of St. John of God are guided by values such as excellence, to achieve high quality teaching, a spirit of research, sensitivity, and collaboration that go hand in hand to successfully train a great nursing staff with all the ethical values and discipline necessary to undertake their profession.
Juan Ciudad NGO collaborates with the Mabesseneh Nursing School through several cooperative projects. Among them is a project promoted by the Sant Joan de Deu Teaching Campus, in collaboration with the NGO and EKI Foundation. This project will allow for the installation of a photovoltaic system and the construction of the electricity grid for the School and its Nurses' Residence, ensuring 24-hour coverage of electricity consumption.
Here, there...for everyone Happy International Nurses Day!!
By MarĂa Escolar.
Volunteer in Communication 2.0 at Juan Ciudad NGO.
