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Date: 30/08/2005
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Conference of Retired Nurses
Speech by Minister of Health Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang at the
Conference of Retired Nurses, Birchwood Conference Centre,
Boksburg
Programme Director
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
It is an honour and privilege to welcome all the distinguished
guests especially the retired nurses present here today. It has
always been my wish to reach out to as many nurses as possible to
celebrate with them their selfless contribution to the population
of South Africa.
I wish to express our sincere appreciation for the sterling work
and contribution to improving the health of our population over
many years. I am always heartened to find that, despite many
challenges facing us, nurses are dedicated to providing good
quality health services. Despite the problems created by the
apartheid health policies, the nursing profession did not
compromise its objective of providing the best possible care.
One of the challenges from the past was lack of recognition for the
efforts that the nurses put into their work of serving our
communities. When I became the Minister of Health, I immediately
set up a team to explore a possibility of establishing a national
recognition award specifically for nurses. We then established the
"Cecilia Makiwane Nurses Recognition Award". The first award
ceremony was held in 2002 and our President, Thabo Mbeki graced
this occasion. It was really a momentous occasion in which we
celebrated outstanding contributions by nurses throughout the
country.
During the award ceremony held in November 2003, the Department of
Health went a step further to recognise 20 nurses who left South
Africa to assist the Tanzanian Government after its independence
when the British pulled out the country. The history of those
nurses was not well known in our country. I am glad that we managed
to bring together the remaining 14 from that group to honour them
for their sacrifice. We brought them here from as far away as
Britain, Tanzania and Botswana.
Today, we are extending this recognition to you as retired nurses.
We want to say thank you for all the hard work and service rendered
to our people, sometimes under very difficult circumstances. Some
of you worked under very difficult circumstances created by the
previous government. There are a number of challenges facing nurses
and the nursing profession today. We therefore feel that as the
Department we need to share with you some of them so that together
we can chart the way forward.
While most nurses are committed to serving our people, there are
few reported cases of nurses and other health professionals
ill-treating patients. We view these cases very seriously. We
therefore feel that there is a need for strong mentorship programme
to support the young nurses who are joining the profession. In
isiZulu we say, "Indlela ibuzwa kwabaphambili". As you have been
through this journey, we feel that you can make significant
contribution to this programme. I am sure all of us will gain from
you on how we need to address some of the challenges facing us
today.
As retired nurses, you are well aware of the tendencies that seem
to erode the practice of quality nursing care. What can be done to
address this challenge? Are any of the role models present here
today, in a position to contribute towards rectifying the
situation?
Nursing has always been known as a caring profession. Linked with
the democratic values that characterises our society today, the
nursing practice must remain guided by the values of quality,
respect and accountability to the communities we serve. Protecting
the dignity of those under our care, promoting respect for
individuals and honouring the diverse backgrounds, cultural and
religious beliefs of patients and their families should form the
basis of the nursing profession.
We should be sensitive to individual needs and give support and
recognition to encourage professional and personal development.
Since the essence of the nursing profession is nurturing and
caring, it is important that we work together to ensure that this
essence does not disappear. Amongst us today we have nurses that
have dedicated their lives to improving nursing through teaching,
serving and conducting research that enriches the profession. Can
the nation still have access to this repository of knowledge to use
it for the young generation of nurses?
I am convinced that we can find ways of re-invigorating that
passion in nursing. This conference should come up with clear
proposals how this can be done. We will then discuss these
proposals with other stakeholders in the nursing profession
including the South African Nursing Council so that they can be
turned into a workable national mentoring programme. I am confident
that as retired with decades of experience, you still possess
enough energy and passion that can help inspire enthusiasm in the
younger generation of nursing profession and its leadership.
Nursing is a life-long commitment and way of life, demanding that
we remain accountable to our patients, communities and to each
other for our professional practice and conduct. The department has
a major responsibility of creating an environment conducive for
nurses to abide by the ethos of their profession.
The department is actively addressing the challenges faced by
nursing services including, in particular the heavy workload caused
by shortage of personnel. You will remember that a few years ago,
there was a decrease in the number of nursing colleges at
provincial level and this led to a significant reduction in the
number of nurses trained. This situation was further compounded by
the increase in the number of those nurses who leave to work
overseas.
The National Health Council, which is a structure made up of the
Minister and the MECs for Health from all provinces, has resolved
that the Department increase the number of nurses on training. Some
of the measures that should be taken in this regard include
reintroducing the training of enrolled nurses in the current
nursing colleges. This category of nurses should bring a lot of
relief to professional nurses who are currently
overstretched.
We are also going to reopen some of the nursing colleges that were
closed down in the past to improve our training output. We are
aware that as a consequence of cutting back on training and closure
of these nursing colleges, the academic staff also left. Our
efforts are therefore to also recruit back to the service, tutors
and clinical facilitators. This weekend, I will be addressing South
African nurses who are working in Britain, responding to their
request for me to meet with them. Many have expressed their
willingness to come back home and join the public health sector. I
am also aware that there is an increasing number of those who left
for the private health sector who wish to rejoin the public health
sector.
This means that on our side as the department, we have to ensure
that there are no obstacles to these fellow professionals coming
back into the public health sector. I am confident that we will
succeed in bringing back home our own. Last week Thursday the
Nursing Bill was tabled in the National Assembly. Indeed this is a
course for celebration as it signals the outcome of three years of
hard work by the Department and our social partners in developing
progressive legislation that seeks to advance government's cause to
provide quality health care to the poorest of the poor.
For the first time, this Bill makes provision for the introduction
of community service for nurses. This should contribute
significantly to our efforts to ensure equitable distribution of
nurses to meet the health needs of our communities.
The Bill goes further and seeks to align Nursing Education to the
mainstream of education by making sure that Nursing Education
programmes are registered through the National Qualification
Framework. This essentially means that, unlike in the past, nurses
can gain recognisable credit and retain them for future studies.
This will do away with the old-fashioned and time-consuming
processes of repeat of programmes by nurses who wish to further
their studies.
I would like to conclude by proposing that, with the help of the
MECs and Heads of Departments in the provinces; we should find ways
to bring you together at provincial level to further explore the
best foam of engagement amongst ourselves. This conference should
discuss the possibility of establishing a retired nurses' forum
which should facilitate this engagement.
We need your contribution in improving the caring ethos of nursing.
I have no doubt that you will support us in this regard. On our
side, we will ensure that this does not put strain on you because
you must, after decades of hard work, enjoy your retirement!
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