‘NURSES SHOULD HAVE A VOICE IN HEALTH POLICY DECISION MAKING’

Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) held the “1^st International Nursing Leadership and Professional Organization Workshop” and the “1^st National Surgical Nursing Education Workshop”. The workshop, co-organized with Turkish Society of Surgical and Operating Room Nurses, addressed the international professional organization of nurses, and the curriculum of nursing education in Turkey.

In her opening speech, Prof. Dr. Filiz Öğce, Head of IUE Department of Nursing, and President of Turkish Society of Surgical and Operating Room Nurses, stated that the most current information regarding leadership and professional organization in the field of surgical and operating nursing has been shared with the participants. Öğce said, “We are holding the workshops concurrently. When it comes to health services, nurses work the longest shifts, and they work in many areas. We hope to make nurses take their well-deserved place in health policy decision making”.

Öğce, who also indicated that they aim to improve the quality of surgical nursing education, said that Mona Guckian Fisher, President of International Federation of Perioperative Nurses, as well as representatives of surgical nurses associations from United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, and Spain also attended the event.

‘Health improves by supporting the nurses’

Workshop participant, President Mona Guckian Fisher stated that the world’s population was getting older, and she said, “We need opinions so that no one is left without a health insurance. Everything in life begins with us. We have global responsibilities. Investing in nursing increases health quality. Nurses should have a voice in health policy decision making. These policies should not be developed by people who have no idea what nursing is about”.

Fisher, who reminded that nurses were able to take variety of duties in health industry, pointed that nurses made up half of the basic health staff and employees working in global health organizations.