“Let us reimagine where we want nursing and midwifery to be in T&T in ten years time and work towards that goal. We must always be able to stand up and proudly say we are nurses and this means something.” These were the words of the keynote speaker, Jill Iliffe, executive secretary of the Commonwealth Nurses Federation at the opening ceremony of the Seventh Quadrennial Health Conference, at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, which took place from June 1-6.
The conference was themed Nursing and midwifery: Power and Best Practice in the 21st Century and provided nursing, midwifery and other healthcare professionals the opportunity to share research and experiences for improving how they serve their communities.
During her presentation which was well-received by the attending healthcare professionals, Iliffe touched on international best practices and standards for the nursing profession and stressed the importance of ongoing research to advance knowledge in the field and the need for a code of ethics and regulations, to maintain high standards and protect the public from unsafe practitioners. Iliffe also spoke about the need to instill the deep-seated values of competence, commitment, prestige, trustworthiness and a client-focused environment of healthcare among all members of the profession, a release said.
The Seventh Quadrennial Health Conference was hosted by the T&T Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) and the T&T Nurses Association of America Inc (TTNAA). Over the six-day conference experts discussed a number of issues that have an impact on nursing and the delivery of healthcare including community home-based care, post-partum depression, the role of the midwife, elderly care and patient safety and quality care.
Other speakers at the opening ceremony included Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan, TTNAA president Jacqueline La-Rose-Greene, MTEST Nursing Eduction manager Joycelyn Alvarez-Clarke, Caribbean Nurses Organisation former secretary Rosemarie Josey, and T&T Nursing Council president Karin Pierre.
TSTT chief marketing officer, Camille Campbell said the TTRNA and TTNAA played an important role in encouraging the continuous development of the profession.
“Blink/bmobile is proud to support this critical conference since it strives to advance the capability of nurses to have a greater positive impact on our nation’s healthcare which will benefit all citizens.”
“This year we too are observing a significant milestone, the 25th anniversary of TSTT that has helped shape all sectors of the society and economy. We look forward to the next 25 years where advanced telecommunications technology will play an even greater role in healthcare and other areas that support the growth and development of T&T as a whole,” Campbell noted.
Gwendolyn Loobie-Snaggs, president of the T&T Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) in her remarks at the formal opening said, “This conference is especially significant to us this year, as it coincides with the 85th anniversary of the TTRNA as an organisation representing the interests of nurses and other supporting staff in the healthcare system. The focus of the conference is to improve the use of modern methods and practices in both nursing and midwifery in T&T.”
Loobie-Snaggs continued, “If we are serious about developing the nursing profession, we would take aspects of this conference and put them into practice to obtain a change in attitudes, behaviors and the way we deliver service. If we see this happening, no matter how small, then we can say that this quadrennial was really successful because we would have tangible evidence that there was indeed improvement in the nursing profession.”
Referring to Iliffe’s presentation, an exhilarated Loobie-Snaggs said, “It was very relevant, especially with regard to regulating the nursing profession. What she shared should form part of our training going forward, especially for our younger nurses and then we will really see the benefits coming out of this conference.”