The Nurses and Midwives Letter Issue 6
THE NURSE & MIDWIVES LEADERS’ THINK TANK 2020 Lead
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WE SALUTE THE UGANDAN NURSES & MIDWIVES
The NMLTT honours the fallen Nurses, Midwives, and other Healthcare Providers: COVID-19 Warriors. May your sacrifices count. May your light continue to burn brighter…
Photo by Getty Images/iStockPhotos
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Contents Message from the Think Tank Chairperson, The Nursing Now Campaign: updates from Dr. Safinah K. Museene the National Coordinator Sr. Catherine ……………..……………………….pg 3 Odeke …………………………………...….pg 10 Five minutes with a Nurse Leader—Sr. PPE for Basawo Annet Kabanyoro ………………………………...…….pg 11 ……………...………………..……….pg 5 President of Association of Graduate Recent and upcoming Webinars Nurses and Midwives (AGNMU) …………...………….……...……….pg 12 ……………...………………...……...pg 6 A message from the president of the Other resource links Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union ……….…………..………..………...pg 13 ……………..…………………...……pg 7 Writing for the Nurses and Midwives Letter …………..…….…………..…….….pg 14
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MESSAGE FROM THINK-TANK LEADERSHIP REOPENING OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY SCHOOL FOR FINALIST STUDENTS IN UGANDA Very few situations in our history have caused health training institutions to completely close their doors to learning activities. On the 18 th of March 2020, all educational institutions were closed as a measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Some institutions have since been reopened and I have read and observed the measures being instituted to protect, prevent and control the spread of the infection amongst students as they return to the classroom. Through consultative meetings and negotiation with the President of the Republic of Uganda and the leadership in the Ministry of Health, permission to re-open was granted. A special committee was formed to establish the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Universities and BTVET institutions offering Health Professional Education and Training and on 28 th September 2020, Nursing and Midwifery schools were reopened after being closed for seven months. What was done to prepare for reopen All Health Training Institutions (HTI) formed and operationalized COVID-19 Task force committees responsible for managing COVID-19 related issues and reporting to concerned authorities within their institutions, District and other authorities. The committee was able to provide guidelines for designated teaching and accommodation facilities, as well as other amenities. Social distancin g, screening, monitoring of body temperature, restricting access only to learners and institutional staff, hand washing guidelines were crucial measures provided. The guidelines were structured to focus on students, staff, lecture theatres, clinical settings, visitors and on general areas. Only institutions that conformed to the above guidelines were granted permission to re-open after inspection and upon obtaining a certificate of compliance. Over 90% of the 189 HTIs met the minimum requirements for re -opening. Thereafter, tutors were trained in Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19 with the support of Seed Global Health, Ministry of Health, IDI, and Ministry of Education and Sports. What is required after re-opening and what are the challenges faced? The educational institutions have faced some challenges including limited resources and high costs for training, some infection among students, demand to allow other students back in school, presence of stress and fear among students as well as staff and administrators. A major concern was the provision of a budget to provide for the implementation of the SOPs, and demand from the Government to provide PPEs and resources for expansion of facilities. However, leadership of the institutions took charge. 3
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Now that finalists are allowed to return and complete their studies, the students are expected to acq uire all competencies for service delivery as Nurses and Midwives. As prescribed by UNMEB and UNMC Standards, ICN Standards and International Confederation of Midwives; it's a requirement for all Nurses and Midwives to be competent before certification for practice is provided. This implies that the finalist students will have to acquire the seven (7) general competencies required of any professional. These competencies include: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, Oral/Written Communications, Teamwork/Collaboration, Information Technology Application, Leadership and Management skills, Professionalism/Work Ethic and Career Management. For institutions to function well in the COVID-19 era, competent leadership is critical, as is motivation, support of students and staff, with emphasis on psychosocial support which is now more crucial than before. Teamwork, collaboration and consultation are of equal importance, as is the involvement of all, including the parents of students. Resource mobilization beyond the kn own Government provision is imperative while learning and sharing as we manage COVID19 era is a must. We are confident in the leadership of the health training institutions who have taken on the role of guiding and supporting the trainees until they reach competency level for practice. Plans to allow the rest of the continuing students to resume with their studies is in progress. Arrangements to conduct examinations by Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examinations Board have been made to start examinations on the 30 th of November 2020. Selection of the post basic students is on from 19-20 November 2020 and recruitment interview for certificate nurses is also in plan. Conclusion From the bottom of my heart, may I convey my sincere appreciation to all Nurses and Midwives who continue to be available to their patients and clients despite the high risk of being infected/exposed, the health professional educators who are available for their students and the leader ship of the educational and health facilities, its only God who can fully repay your efforts. I appreciate all our partners for being available whenever we contact them. COVID-19 is still with us, do not forget to put on your mask, observe social distance, hand wash or sanitize, and in case you happen to manage a confirmed COVID19 client, observe the protocols for case management as prescribed. To love and serve. For God and My Country. Yours sincerely, Dr. Hajat Safinah K. Museene C/BTVET and Chair UNMTT uganursemidwife.leaders@gmail.com 4
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5 Minutes with A Nurse Leader A REFLECTION ON NURSING EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 What at first seemed like a temporary emergency measure has turned into a “new normal”. Schools were closed immediately, and I remember the first directive was to close them for a period of one month. To date, we count about seven - nine months as the COVID19 pandemic remains unpredictable. Most institutions of hi gher education have had to shift to blended and online education. This meant rethinking and acquiring resources that could suit the new shift. Different curricula had to be redone and teachers got busy redoing their lesson plans. But where is nursing education? Are we moving or we got stuck? As nurse educators, we should be able to analyse the present situation and reflect and answer the question... are we on track? Are the curricula that we use for the different nursing programs up -to-date and relevant? Do they address the needs of the community at this particular season in time? What needs to be removed, added, or adjusted? How about the teaching and learning pedagogies? Who takes the lead? I would like to encourage the three pillars in the nu rsing profession (Education, Regulation, and Practice) to do an evaluation on our nursing programs, identify gaps and develop strategies to cover such emerging gaps. What needs to be done to improve nursing education in the context of COVID-19 To remain relevant, we should be able critically to think about and aspire for the future. Strategic planning could be one way to keep us on track and help achieve our objectives. Nurse educators must think outside the box, create innovative solutions to enable the profession to remain relevant in the 21 st Century. As the impact of COVID-19 continues to unfold around us every other day, we need to always think ahead to timely identify new needs/ gaps that arise between theory and practice and employ new teaching innovations to graduate nurses that will be prepared for today’s challenges and complex nursing practice at all levels of health care delivery. As we continue to contemplate on the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing education, we need to retool ourselves as nurse educators, be resilient and be able to adapt to the changing educational needs. Change of mindset is very key. Let us move away from “as it was …will continue to be”. Adopting blended learning and flipped classes could be the way to go. This creates the need to identify the tools and resources that could help to implement blended learning in the existing programs .
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As different institutions struggle to improve nursing education independently, there is a need for concerted efforts as a country. Collaborations in schools are key, we should cooperate rather than compete. There is a need for reforms in nursing education in Uganda to increase the capacity of nurse educators and clinical mentors, responsiveness of curricula, strong regulatory f rameworks, and strategic plans otherwise we shall continue to live in the past while other professions move forward. It is evident that the previous reforms have improved nursing training but with the changing and increasing demands, a lot more needs to be done. Let us remember to stay safe, pray for our profession and love one another. Sr. Annet Kabanyoro, Dean School of Nursing, Kampala International University SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES "Nursing Associations as a means to Personal and Professional Development" a moment with Tumusiime Alex, President of Association of Graduate Nurses and Midwives (AGNMU) Nurses and Midwives are always remarkably busy and highly tied to their daily work schedules. Other news in the nursing world like education, policies, politics and the law can often be overlooked. Nevertheless, these things are quite vital as they affect nurses and the way they practice. One way that nurses and nursing students can stay abreast with the changes in the field is by joining a professional nursing association. Why is it so important to be a member of a professional association? Reasons why nurses should consider becoming a member of a professional nursing association are many; both for personal and professional benefits. For example, the chance to make your voice heard, networking with leaders in the field and promoting the nursing profession to the public are just a few reasons. In addition, contemporary healthcare is always evolving. Providing quality care means staying above the trends that impact practice. Nursing associations offer a wide range of latest informatio n through workshops, newsletters, articles, webinars etc. These associations also offer members the platform to influence policy that affects nursing both at the institutional and national level. Within hospital, clinic or any other setting, nurses rely o n other clinicians on their floor or in their unit. When you join a professional nursing association, your network immediately expands to thousands of 6
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other nurses. In addition to growing your professional network exponentially, these associations have potential to provide learning opportunities for members. Members can participate in a national conference or online training to achieve professional credits. Many times career advancement or professional development are forgotten to focus on patient care, but the present healthcare landscape offers a huge potential for growth. Professional nurs ing associations can help you with this in many ways. As already noted, the size of membership is critical for unlimited networking opportunities. These associations often have committees or leadership positions within them, and taking on a leadership role will boost one’s visibility and enhance a resume. As the professional nursing association grows, greater chances to get connected to career boards and scholarship opportunities not available to non-members become available. Nursing associations can be beneficial to all nurses because they help complete the circle between clinical practice and the outside factors that influence nursing. Joining one of these associatio ns can benefit your clinical skills and also improve both your professional network and future career prospects. Contact me via tumusiime742@gmail.com or use our official email for more information about the AGNMU: graduates@agnmu.org (Association email) MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT UGANDA NURSES AND MIDWIVES UNION (UNMU) . KIPLANGAT CHEROP JUSTUS UNMU was established and registered in 2003 to represent the nurses and midwives in Uganda. It is both a professional body as well as a labour organization. As a professional organization, UNMU focuses on ensuring that the profession is practiced at the highest possible standard. As a labor organization, UNMU spearheads efforts geared toward improving the socio-economic welfare of nurses and midwives in the country as a whole. The activities and the functions of UNMU are implemented in accordance with its constitution. As we write to you this month, we are regretfully seeing a rise of cases of COVID-19 across the country with total number of cases over 20,000 and deaths up to 200. The numbers of health workers infected has increased and nurses are among those most affected. 7
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While cases thankfully remain low and particularly in some of the country, we are seeing unprecedented numbers in the city centre and other Districts. UNMU continues to advocate for the protection of Nurses and Midwives , we have therefore distributed masks and sanitizers to 5 regions (West Nile Region, Acholi Region, Lango Region, West Buganda Region and Karamoja Region). This was possible with support from the Denis Federation of Trade Unions. Through the support of the Denis Federation of Trade Unions we were also able to organise celebrations of the IND 2021, as well as conduct our environmental scanning. The Union offers various programs and services to its members such as : • Scholarships for less advantaged Nurses and Midwives for Diploma, Degree, Masters and PhD studies. • CPD in collaboration with ICN. • Wellness centre Uganda services include: - Physiotherapy, Dental Service, Laboratory services, and clinical services. • Life insurance for all members • Free information on labour issues, support and recommendations for members who wish to work abroad. • Girl Child Education Fund sponsored by ICN/FNI The Union has made some strides so far: • Negotiations and advocacy for Nurses and Midwives e.g., ADHOs position in 2012, Nurses and Midwives scheme of service 2017, Salary increment in 2018, scholarship for Nurses and Midwives 2018, Land Title for Mulago and Entebbe, And uniforms for Nurse and Midwives. • Headquarters Building • Acquisition of assets - Two vehicles (2) • Finished and ongoing projects • Increased membership from 2,000 to 15,000. • Successful International Nurses day and scientific conferences annually. • Successful merger between the two groups of Nurses and Midwives • Constitutional Review 2020 Some of the challenges faced by the Union include; the failure by the government to implement the labour laws, limited resources to finance trade union activities, Non -recognition of trade union by majority of employers despite the new labor laws, the existence of dual pseudo unions has caused more division within and among trade unions especially at work place.
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In addition, disharmony among some unions’ leaders and members due to the political differences, lack of funds to hold committee meetings and to run administrative issues as well as understaffing at the UNMU secretariat. However, our focus as UNMU is: • Unity amongst Nurses and Midwives in Uganda • Effective social dialogue is the cornerstone of the policy process -social dialogue is more than information-sharing. But tri-Partite social dialogue involving government, labour and Employers is essential for credible effective employment policy formulation and implementation . • Empowerment policy involves many different actors: The Ministry of Public service, Ministry of Finance and other line ministries, Bank of Uganda and Civil society groups. A well-informed national employment policy requires bringing all stakeholders togethe r in an institutional framework where social dialogue can take place. • The employment policy process has to be aligned with the overall national planning process. A national development framework is a country’s overall plan that sets out its priorities for development over a period of time. In principle national Budgets are aligned with these priorities. • UNMU also needs to play a role in ensuring that rural and informed workers are at the table. In some countries trade unions are in the process of changing their governance structures to give representations to the informal sector. • Another option is forming an alliance with the organization of the informal sector so that we are very strong. Thank you all. Best Regards. To Love and Serve
“Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide is a stress management guide for coping with adversity. The guide aims to equip people with practical skills to help cope with stress. A few minutes each day are enough to practice the self-help techniques. The guide can be used alone or with the accompanying audio exercises” Download the guide here: (WHO, 2020)
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927
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NURSING NOW CORNER Update from National Coordinator desk We held a Nurse leader’s meeting on strengthening leadership through the key thematic areas – Education Clinical practice, Regulation (Nursing and Midwifery Association/Federation in its conclusion stages) – Leadership, Governance and Policy cutting across the dialog. We participated in a three-day skills training for Nurses and Midwives in lower health facilities organized by one of the Nursing Now Young Nurses, in the community where one of them has an organization supporting teenagers. We held the last phase of Continuous Professional Developme nt (CPD) training for 40 young Nurses and Midwives supported by Aga Khan University Uganda – Florence Nightingale Challenge. We also participated in Integrated Child Health Days where Public Health Nurses, other Nurses and Midwives were involved in Immunization of children on preventable diseases, young girls against cervical cancer and women at childbearing age against tetanus. We held a webinar with young Nurses from 5 Regional Referral hospitals and 1 National Referral Hospital sharing on their personal stories on the care of COVID -19 patients.
Join the Campaign. You can access the social media toolkit and advocacy materials here Nursing Now Resource Centre: https://www.nursingnow.org/resources/ 10
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UPDATES
As of November 30, over 900 HW had got infected with COVID 19 with at least 9 reported deaths. These numbers are likely to go up. The NMLTT continues to lobby and advocate for more funds in order to meet this objective: making PPE available to all frontline healthcare providers. For $19.50 (UGX 70,000) only, you can sponsor a nurse/midwife to receive a pack of PPE for his/her shift. This pack includes an apron (re- usable), two pairs of gloves, a hair net, N95 mask (with instructions on how to sterilize), and soap. Please feel free to contact us at Uganursemidwife.leaders@gmail.com for further inquiries and more information on how you can donate. Send your contribution to Ms Emily Bako, Ministry of Health, Department of Nursing.
Thank you for your continued generosity.
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WEBINARS: The Uganda Nurses & Midwives Leadership Think Tank brings you the Communication and Interpersonal Skills Series. These series will be running from Thursday 12 th November through January 2020. The first session on Communication & Public service was held on 12th November. This is for all Nurses and Midwives as communications is a crucial pa rt of our daily work and determines how well we accomplish our goals across the care continuum. In extended crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and midwives are expected to sustain timely communication in all critical functions including patient care, inspiring trust, hope, and compassion, engaging in advocacy, disseminating health education, participating in strategic planning and management as well as effective networking and mobilization of resources, to mention but a few. Understanding that communication is one of the most important components of a nurse’s car eer success, the NMLTT hopes to prioritize this topic for the next few months and we would like to encourage as many nurses and midwives to participate in the series as we continue to learn and grow together . Other learning opportunities to look out for include the following:
We know that life is moving very fast. We encourage you to curve out time to stop. To think. To engage with others in life-giving conversations. And to continue to learn. 12
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Please find below a list of useful contacts to forward your concerns appropriately. UNMC queries: info@unmc.ug UNMU: info@unmu.ug CPD APP concerns: martin@unmc.ug National organisations Education and training Standards: Department of Nursing at Ministry of Health BTVET (Min of Education and sports) QUESTIONS? CALL: 0417 893600 (PRO) Mobile 0777108170 Benevolent fund: Department of Nursing at Ministry of Health, Uganda Some of the associations. (Find out more information about their membership and activities) AGNMU: graduates@agnmu.org Critical Care Association:president@ccnau.org Midwifery Association: nationalmidwivesassociationug@gmail.com Nursing and Midwives Society: info@nursesandmidwivessociety.org Emergency Care society of Uganda: admin@ecsuganda.org Palliative care Association of Uganda: pxau.admin@pcau.org.ug Other Resources: NMLTT (Think - Tank Leaders):- uganursemidwife.leaders@gmail.com Writing articles for publication on NHCC Uganda website: editors.nhccuganda@gmail.com Global networking Nursing Now Campaign Uganda: nursingnowuganda@gmail.com 13
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ON GOING NMLTT continues to work in collaboration with the National Task Force in the Management of COVID-19.
Thinking about Writing? You can do it!!
WHO
WHEN
WHAT
? HOW
WHERE
WHY
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We invite you to send us your story. The Think Tank Newsletter Editing Team accepts articles on a rolling basis. Subthemes we feature are:
Research and Innovation Continuing Professional development (CPD) Policy Leadership/Governance Clinical Practice COVID-19 Response.
Meetings and Networking The Think Tank continues to meet regularly to check on progress and formulate strategies to support and advocate for Nurses and Midwives. We would like to thank Seed Global Health for the continued support for hosting our zoom meetings and webinars. Our faith in you is steadfast. May you continue to rise up to the challenge in this International year of the Nurse and Midwife - 2020. More than ever, this nation needs you. We thank you and May God bless you.
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Please feel free to contact us with your concerns. If you find this Nurse & Midwife Letter useful, we would really like to hear from you. We continually evaluate and assess the progress of our communication channels with you. Please email us at the address above. Copy to: The Hon Minister for Health The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health The Chairperson, NATIONAL TASK FORCE COVID 19 The President of Uganda Medical Association Commissioner Nursing Services, Ministry of Health All Nurses and Midwives in Uganda Compiled and Edited by Think Tank Debrief team on behalf of NMLTT: Dr Rose Clarke Nanyonga, Elizabeth Pearson, Irene Atuhairwe, Tracy Kobukindo, Judith Hope Kiconco, and Christine Alura
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