BY JOY OFASIA
THE Solomon Islands Government and key stakeholders are urged to prioritize the nursing profession to enhance health service delivery in the country.
Mr. Michael Larui, the Director of the Solomon Islands Nursing Council, highlighted this during his speech at the 2024 International Nurses Day Celebrations held on Monday in Honiara.
Mr. Larui identified four key areas that the Solomon Islands government should consider supporting the nursing profession in order to effectively support health service delivery in the Solomon Islands now and in the future:
- The complex demand in healthcare service delivery, such as poor access and resource limitations, justifies the need for effective nursing leadership both at the provincial and national level.
- Nursing graduates, both in-service and pre-service, ought to fully implement the skills and new knowledge in practice. This can be made possible with the provision of relevant equipment and improved scopes of practice.
- Standards of practice, although regulated, must be permissive in order for nurses to provide care based on the service needs in the hospital as well as in rural areas.
- Nursing practice must be aided by basic nursing care equipment and health interventions, including primary health care and specialist clinical services.
Mr. Larui highlighted the critical importance of nursing in his speech, highlighting its economic power in shaping our future.
“The theme is Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care emphasizes the critical importance of nursing in shaping the future of healthcare and acknowledges the economic impact of their work.
“Drawing from the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and recognizing the increasing threat to the health of populations around the world due to conflicts, the climate crisis, and financial instability, we believe the time is right to advocate for a shift in perspective and policy.
“Health services in the Solomon Islands began with the missionaries who first brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to the islands.
“Today, nursing in the Solomon Islands has grown to become a profession that contributes to the delivery of health services by supporting the implementation of the National Health Strategic Plan 2022–2021,” the Director of the Solomon Islands Nursing Council noted.
