The PHoNM meeting was held in Nadi, Fiji on 14th-16th 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.