Pacific Head of Nursing and Midwifery Meetings

Pacific Head of Nursing and Midwifery Meeting 2023

The PHoNM meeting was held in Nadi, Fiji on 14^th-16^th of November 2023 with the theme “Nurses Together: A Force for Global Health”. The annual meeting serves as a crucial forum, recognising the significance of nursing in the Pacific region, offering a platform to address nursing priorities, discuss policies, and provide oversight for regional nursing functions. The primary objectives of the meeting are to review, discuss, and formulate recommendations for the Pacific Heads of Health. These recommendations encompass a spectrum of topics aligned with nursing priorities and country-specific needs.

Top row: Elizabeth Iro (Cook Islands), Roger Jelapo (Vanuatu), Asena Kauyaca (Tokelau), Colleen Turaga (Fiji), Mele Felise (Tonga), Helen Murdoch (Kiribati), Anne Pinel (French Polynesia), Sokolito Maloto (Tuvalu), Silina Waqa (Fiji), Trixie Fritz (Nauru), Thomas Pita (Niue).

Bottom row: Michele Rumsey (UTS), Lorraine Hetaraka (New Zealand), Karen Hammad (UTS), Antonette Merur (Palau), Ulisese Tapuvae (Samoa), Nga Manea (Cook Islands), Renea Raho (Northern Mariana Islands)

WHO CC UTS Director Professor Michele Rumsey, and Associate Professor Karen Hammad actively participated in the event. Two technical papers were presented on behalf of WHO CC UTS, the first recommending a Pacific Leadership Program (PLP). Members of the South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA) have advocated for an in-person PLP to be held in 2024. The last PLP hosted by WHO CC UTS was in 2022, online due to COVID-19 restrictions. The presentation was well received by participants. 

The second presentation was given by Mele Sii Inukihaangana Felise, CNMO for Tonga, presenting an update on the Regional Quality Improvement Project (RQIP) including preliminary data. The presentation was well received and featured in the top 4 topics found to be most interesting by participants during the meeting. Overall, the PHoNM fostered important conversations with WHO CC UTS, the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers (CNMOs) in the region, and other key partners. 

Pacific Head of Nursing and Midwifery Meeting 2021

The 2nd Pacific Heads of Nursing and Midwifery Meeting hosted by SPC took place over zoom on the 25th of November 2021. The meeting’s primary purpose is to provide executive level oversight for regional nursing functions in the Pacific, including a policy advisory and technical role to inform nursing decisions in the region. Key partners included WHO, Australian College operating Room Nurses (ACORN), Royal Australian College of Surgeons Pacific Islands Program, UNAIDS, UNICEF and World Bank. Participants from Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga, Palau, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu were in attendance.

WHO and international programs for health and nursing improvements and building sustain relationships are very important. I would like to applaud the work of the Pacific Chief Nurses, Director Michele Rumsey of WHO CC UTS, Director of Nursing of Solomon Islands and many others who have contributed to the work and development of State of the World Nursing Report 2020…
                                    - Dr. Amelia Afuha’amango Tuipoulotu, Minister of Health Tonga

The meeting was hosted by health-care professionals who made presentations regarding nursing, midwifery and health-care generally in the Pacific region. Experiences of working conditions were given by nurses in specialised COVIDS-19 facilities in Fiji. Mamatuki Sosefo Adjunct FNU Unit Manager at the Emergency Department, Colonial War Memorial Hospital shared nursing experiences in their time managing COVID-19 in Lautoka Hospital, Fiji. The head of Global Health at the Royal Australasain College of Surgeons, Ms Philippa Nicholson provided an overview of support given to nursing activities in the Pacific, by RACS’s Pacific Island Program. Dr Odille Chang, the acting Dean of the Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Dr Chang presented new courses that are in development. These included Masters in Clinical Nursing, Masters in Leadership and Management in Nursing PGD- Intensive Care Nursing, PGD- Surgical Nursing, PGD- Perioperative Nursing, Diploma- Enrolled Nursing (Kiribati, Tuvalu), Short Course- Endoscopy Nursing. Dr Odille Chang, Associate Dean learning and Teaching in Fiji National University (FNU) acknowledged FNU Adjunct Professor Di Brown’s assistance in development of these New Nursing Programs. Margaret Leong IPC Adviser SPC, shared valuable resources, updates and progress of work on IPC for PICTs.

[The state of the world nursing] report urges governments and relative stakeholders to invest in massive acceleration of nursing education, create 6 million nursing jobs by 2030, and thirdly, strengthen nursing leadership, of which we are doing today. We also need to strengthen global partnerships with the WHO, ICN, Nursing Now and many others.
                                                                                   - Dr. Amelia Afuha’amango Tuipoulotu

Ms Silina Waqa new Nursing Adviser for SPC provided an overview of SPC’s regional nursing activities over the past year. The improvement of regional nursing and midwifery accreditation standards was presented by SPCNMOA Chair, Vanuatu Principle Nursing Officer Harriett Sam. The following recommendations from the presentation were made to governments in the region:

• Provide political will and leadership to advocate for a support nursing priorities
• Continue support for nursing support and specialization e.g. study time, study space
• Establish and/or strengthen career pathways for nursing specialisation e.g. critical care, emergency nursing, perioperative nursing.

The WHO SPCNMOA scoping roadmap was developed to improve nursing and midwifery education and regulation in pacific island countries. The following points pertain to recommendations made to SPCNMOA’s development partners.

• Work with Chief nursing Officers, ministers of health, SPCNMOA and PHoNM, to provide technical and expert guidance and support as needed to progress the WHO Scoping Study Roadmap
• Provide funding to support initial development of the practice and accreditation standard and regional bodies as outlined above

The Pacific Heads of Nursing and Midwifery meeting will circulate minutes and actions to participants.

Dr Odille Chang, Associate Dean learning and Teaching in Fiji National University (FNU) acknowledged FNU Adjunct Professor Di Brown’s assistance in development of these New Nursing Programs.