The participants
Some 283 selected young nurses and midwives have successfully undertaken a virtual Nightingale Challenge workshop.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council in partnership with the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Mental Health Authority, Teaching Hospitals, Ghana Health Service, Police Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Ghana College of Nurses & Midwives and School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Ghana, Legon organized the four-day sessional programme in two weeks.
Participants were involved in leadership and mentoring programmes, covering cross-cutting topics and emerging issues of nursing and midwifery leadership.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Registrar of the Council, Felix Nyante, entreated participants not to neglect the knowledge, and leadership skills they have acquired but apply them in all settings of their profession.
He also encouraged participants to embrace and utilize Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the provision of healthcare as that was a necessity in modern day nursing and midwifery.
He said the Council is driving an ICT transformation agenda and will soon digitize all of its services to Clients and Stakeholders.
“We have digitized our indexing, registration, results checking, PIN/AIN cards and would soon introduce the renewal of license online. All these services are accessible on the Council’s website and newly created app called NMC Mobile,” he said.
North American Ghana Nurses Foundation (NAGNF), Chapter President Northeast, Matilda Adams, was confident that nurses and midwives in Ghana and abroad will lead the way in expanding and diversifying the healthcare system.
She stressed that “strong leadership is critical if the vision of a transformed health care system is to be realized.”
Chairperson of the 14th Governing Board of the Council Rev. Veronica Darko, noted that Nursing and Midwifery research and practice must continue to identify and develop evidence-based improvements to care, and these improvements must be tested and adopted through policy changes across the health care system.
“It is my estimation that at the end of the Nightingale Challenge in December 2020, participants will be well equipped with leadership skills and can excel in the education, bedside, administrative, regulatory and policymaking sectors in the country and abroad” she said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri