The first-ever State of the World’s Nursing (SOWN) report, initiated and developed by WHO in close collaboration with the International Council of Nurses (ICN), Nursing Now! and Jhpiego, will be launched in 2020, prior to the 73rd World Health Assembly. This milestone document will provide a technical description of the nursing workforce in Member States around the world to inform policy dialogue on strengthening nursing and accelerating progress across the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and universal health coverage (UHC). The collection of data for the SOWN report also provides an important opportunity for discussion and recommendations for policy development to bolster the role of nurses and midwives in health service delivery on a national, regional and global scale. The WHO CC UTS is proudly supporting data collection for the SOWN report in the WHO Western Pacific region, specifically in Pacific Island Countries and Territories, and facilitating policy discussion and recommendations for the contributions of nurses and midwives for the achievement of the White Paper priorities and GPW13.
Workshop attendees, WHO CC Advisory Board Members and staff
In line with this, a Skills Development Training Program for Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers was coordinated by the WHO CC UTS and held at UTS from 18- 20 September 2019. Senior nursing and midwifery leaders from 14 Pacific countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Palau, FSM, Australia and New Zealand) most of whom are members of the South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA), attended the three day program. Five further countries were unable to attend due to funding and timing constraints. The program focused on health system strengthening through improved data literacy, data analysis and understanding of the relationship between data, information and knowledge to inform and translate into policy. It aims to strengthen health system performance, quality and sustainability through professional development of
Pacific CNMOs with Michele Rumsey (WHOCCUTS) at the workshop
senior leaders in nursing and midwifery. In addition, participants will gain a better understanding of the importance of data information systems, collection and management of data, with opportunities to build and strengthen partnerships and linkages within the Pacific, and address regional concerns.
Prof Stuart White (ISF) and Prof Suzanne Chambers (UTS Health)
The objectives of the program included:
- Provision of training to improve understanding of the relationship between data, information and knowledge needed to inform practice, management and policy decision making;
- Development and demonstration skills for interpretation and translation of data for Human Resources for Health planning and policy development;
- Development of participant understanding of indicators for the WHO National Health Accounts;
- Strengthening understanding of the 2008 ILO global classification for health workers;
- Development of understanding of the definitions and indicators for State of the World Nursing (SOWN) Report, and complete data collection and compilation for participating countries as required by WHO.
Outcomes from the three days included regional nursing and midwifery data collection for attendees (strengthened analysis, management and literacy skills);
increased capacity of attendees to meet health data literacy needs of relevant countries; bolstering nursing and midwifery networks across the region; and completion of information/data requirements from participating Pacific countries for SOWN Report.
Senior leaders from Vanuatu, Nauru, Palau, PNG and FSM
Attendees agreed that all objectives for the workshop were met and the following outputs were produced:
- Analysis of SOWN database by indicator;
- Brief newsletter;
- Documented recommendations to WHO WPRO for the White Paper – thematic priority areas and operational shifts.
Recommendations from this meeting are found at the end of this brief.
Helen Murdoch (Kiribati), Michael Larui (Solomon Islands) and Alaita Taulima (Tuvalu)
Staff from the WHOCCUTS also interviewed various senior leaders for the Vital Roles of Nursing study being carried out for the WHO Western Pacific Region, documenting case studies and highlighting the important work that nurses and midwives perform throughout the region to be published and launched on World Health Day 2020, the WHO International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
To mark the global climate strike on 20 September, the WHO CC UTS and the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at UTS held a joint reception on climate change and health for program attendees, program presenters and friends of WHO CC UTS and ISF. In a political climate of ambivalence towards climate change, this reception provided a forum for UTS to show senior Pacific health leaders our support in effective response to climate change. Speakers at the event included Prof Stuart White (Director, ISF), Verity Firth (Executive Director – Social Justice, Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion UTS), Ms Alaita Taulima (Head Public Health, Tuvalu), Ms Helen Murdoch (Chief Nurse, Kiribati), Dr Amelia Afuha’amango (Chief Nurse, Tonga), and Michele Rumsey (Director, WHOCCUTS).
Prof Angela Dawson (UTS Health) presenting at the workshop
This meeting was only able to proceed with the assistance of WHO Headquarters, WHO WPRO office, WHO country offices, Jhpiego, UTS, and Ministries of Health who released their staff to attend this important meeting.
Meeting discussions focused on specific outcome areas, with a summary of recommendations as follows:
- Provide feedback to WHO about definitions within SOWN Report: ensure that the definitions used and data collection are relevant to the Pacific context. Work towards developing systems in country to be able to capture relevant data for future SOWN reports.
- Recognize the important role and involvement of Chief Nurses in the analysis of high quality data (population health, quality and safety) for governance and decision making.
- Leadership programs for nurses and midwives need to be funded, supported and resourced, providing opportunities for Continued Professional Development (CPD) and succession planning within senior roles. Further funding to be sought to enable leadership and capability building programs to continue in Pacific.
- Communicate to relevant government and international bodies that there are shortages of nurses and midwives in many parts of the Pacific. The current WHO definition of 4.45 nurses/midwives/doctors per 1000 population are inappropriate to some parts of the Pacific due to their large number of remote and isolated communities.
- Registration: Seek support to improve legislation and develop a live online national secure register (unique to each country) Pacific-wide, cloud-based platform to record nursing licensing/registration (to provide transparent public safety).
- Accreditation and standards development (regional mechanisms): Work to progress regional partnerships and continued co-operation across undergraduate and postgrad education, accreditation, CPD and standards development including involvement of North Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.
- Emergency disaster preparedness, response and management: A) Provide programs for nurses to strengthen capability to respond and be resilient to disasters in the Pacific. B) Embed disaster education within CPD, postgrad and undergraduate programs and provide professional development for current nurses. C) Support the development of disaster systems processes and plans that are written and exercised regularly and include nursing. D) Empower and educate community to actively respond to disasters and be able to provide support. E) Provide psycho-social and other forms of support for nurses working in emergency response situations. F) Provide strategic pool of educated Pacific nurses to be located within region that are mobile and linked to National Emergency Disaster Response Teams.
- Improving Foundational Quality: Ensure that foundational and core PHC initiatives that have been successful are maintained and that rigorous data should be collated and used as evidence to inform decision making. Promote the centrality of compassionate and ethical care.
- Lobby for each country in the region to have a Chief Nursing/Midwifery Officer (CNMO). (The majority of countries in the Pacific have a Chief Nurse and we expect that this will continue to be the norm).
- Further develop advanced nursing roles within the Pacific.
- Sharing of relevant and appropriate policies, tools and networks: Members agree to share resources, information and examples of resilience and innovation relating to programs and strategies that are currently impactful in their Pacific context.
With International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife fast approaching in 2020, these events held at UTS have highlighted the commitment and support of CNMOs and senior leaders in health from the region, SPCNMOA and WHO CC UTS to producing the first-ever State of the World’s Nursing Report and to the strengthening and development of nursing and midwifery in the Pacific region.
Photos from the Pacific CNMOs Data Workshop for SOWN Report, held at UTS 18-20 September 2019
