How are nurses leading the revolution in healthcare?

• International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on 12^th May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who is considered the founder of the nursing profession. 
• The theme for 2021 is “Nurses: A voice to lead – A vision for future healthcare.”

The Changing Role of Nurses

Since the time of Florence Nightingale, the nursing profession has played major roles in times of crisis, providing innovative solutions for patient care and public health protection. The current COVID-19 global pandemic has increased the pressure on health systems and healthcare providers. Nurses in every country continue to work tirelessly on the frontline, while putting their own health at risk.

The nursing profession is continually developing and advancing in response to the challenges faced by health systems. Nurses are leading the revolution in healthcare, by developing and implementing solutions to improve workflows and patient management. Digital innovations have brought the potential to improve care and clinical decision-making.

A Nurse Specialist’s View

To gain an insight into the how the nursing profession is changing, I spoke to Kim, a Filipina Outpatients Paediatric Nurse Specialist in Dubai:

How has nursing changed as a profession in the last decade?

“The nursing profession is the largest segment of the nation’s healthcare workforce. Nurses serve as the backbone of the healthcare industry and on the front lines developing health solutions, especially in this time of pandemic. Although we may still head to work in scrubs and comfortable shoes, for many nurses, the day-to-day reality of our job has changed in dramatic ways over the past ten years. Nurses are taking on a greater leadership role and gaining recognition as full partners with physicians and other healthcare professionals.”

Has the time you spend on administrative tasks increased or decreased in recent years? How could this be improved so that you have more time to focus on patient care?

“The focus is increasingly on patient care with decreasing the amount of time spent on administrative tasks. New technologies are helping to improve the quality of care. They require nurses to develop an enhanced skill set including an understanding of data analytics. Achieving patient-centred, coordinated care requires interprofessional collaboration, and it is an opportunity for nursing to shine.”

Can you give examples of innovations or technologies which enable you to improve the care you provide or enhance clinical decision making?

“Electronic Medical Records help nurses more efficiently capture real-time patient assessment documentation, such as vital signs, medicine distribution and pain scales.”

What advances do you envision for the nursing profession in future years?

“I envision continued growth in nursing leadership. Advanced practice nurses have an important role to play in addressing the shortage in primary-care healthcare providers across the world. Nurses have a unique patient-centric viewpoint and there are many advantages to increasing their opportunities for independent clinical decision making and leadership roles in collaboration with other healthcare professionals.”

Thank you, Kim, for sharing your valuable experiences and insights.

We salute all nurses for your commitment to upholding the standards and values of the nursing profession while continually innovating to improve patient care.

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