Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
Gina Granger
KGH Education Zone, South Africa
Keynote: Professional Nursing in a new era
Biography:
Gina Granger is a lifelong learner, who completed a Master’s Degree in Nursing, a Bachelor Degree in General nursing, a Bachelor Degree in Nursing Education and Community Health Nursing, a Diploma in Midwifery, a Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing, Certification in NICU Nursing, Certification as International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and she is a certified AHA BLS Instructor. During a nursing career of over 40 years (in General nursing, Midwifery, Psychiatric nursing, Community health, NICU and Nursing Education); she was a preceptor, mentor and educator for nurses in South Africa, as well as in the United Arab Emirates. This included the commissioning of education departments, preparing staff for international accreditation; training basic & advanced life support; and developing of and training staff on nursing policies, procedures and competency assessment tools in various healthcare facilities.
Abstract:
Nursing is one of the largest workforces in the world and professional nursing has to keep up with many changes in healthcare. The modern professional nurse is not only a bedside carer; but also a leader, interdisciplinary team member, follower when necessary, role model and mentor, educator, researcher and quality improvement agent. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) was the pioneer of professional nursing, who provided us with nursing concepts that are still valid in professional nursing today. She defied Victorian customs by refusing to marry at 17 years of age and becoming a nurse (a very frowned-upon career for a lady from an English upper-class family in those days). The concepts implemented by Nightingale (infection control, self-care, assessment, therapeutic communication, spiritual nursing and public health advocacy) are still practiced in modern healthcare. Her work raised nursing from a lowly to a respectable profession in all levels of society. Assessments form the core of nursing care, as all nursing interventions are based on them. The humanity and compassion displayed by Nightingale must remain at the core of modern nursing. Community and home care nurses work more autonomously with patients and families than acute care nurses and nursing leadership in this type of care delivery is very important. The nurse has to be the link between patients and caregivers and other team members as he/she spends more time with the patients and has a better understanding of the patient and family needs in the home environment. Nurses need to be assertive and speak up for patients with clear communication to ensure that patient and family needs are met. It will give an overview of the history of professional nursing as well as the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses; and discuss how both influence professional nursing.
Keynote Forum
Sr Lee Boorman
Faircape Group, South Africa
Keynote: The impact of social decline on the South African public health care system
Biography:
Sr Lee Boorman has 30 year experience in the Holistic Management of not just the elderly but the entire spectrum of design, building, managing and maintaining 287 hospital beds caring for the elderly as well as focusing on the emotional, physical and psychological well-being of 1000 assisted living retirees spread over 6 retirement villages belonging to the Faircape group in Cape Town, South Africa. Her passion for advocacy for the elderly and those who cannot speak for themselves motivate her daily to improve and seek to offer better, faster more convenient care to all her residents.
Abstract:
It’s a proven fact that people that fit into society are healthier, physically and mentally. To be seen as fitting in, you need to comply to your surroundings socially, economically and morally. When this changes due to social decline your health is destined to suffer. To understand the context one must first understand what exactly defines social decline? Social decline or moral decline is typically characterized as reduced adherence to cultural or social norms or values and widespread lapses in ethical behavior. Specifically to the Western Cape this includes but is not limited to substance abuse, teenage pregnancies, HIV, violence, non-compliance to managing non communicable diseases which of course is either due to poverty, unemployment, unhealthy living conditions and single families or the cause thereof. To live in the above scenario automatically creates a social injustice on their health and life expectancy, but focusing on this rather than trying to improve the public health system, will dramatically improve both. The focus on primary health care in South Africa is tremendous, but often only given at clinic or hospital level. To really make an impact we have to go to core level and that is educating the parents and caregivers of our next generation. There needs to be an incentive in it for them, otherwise why should they change? Want to know how?