By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Diabene (W/R), Aug. 27, GNA – Mrs Francisca Ohene Akuffo, Deputy Chief Health Tutor, has said empowered nurses improve patient outcomes, strengthen healthcare systems and contribute significantly to national development.
“Nurses who are adequately supported, equipped, and valued are better positioned to provide high-quality care and save lives,” she said.
Mrs Akuffo was speaking at the Regional Celebration of Nurses Week at Diabenekrom in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
She said nurses and midwives comprised nearly half of the global health workforce and are often the first, and sometimes the only, point of care and builders of strong health systems.
She said through services such as immunisation, maternal care and health promotion, nurses safeguard the health and well-being of populations every day.
Mrs Akuffo said there are 29 million nurses and midwives forming nearly half of the world’s health workforce.
Yet, she said, the world faced a shortage of 5.9 million nurses, with the greatest gaps in low- and middle-income countries.
She said areas with the highest health needs often had the fewest nurses, putting millions of lives at risk.
“There can be no healthy future without a strong nursing workforce,” she stated.
Mrs Akuffo noted that evidence showed that when nurses were adequately staffed, supported and empowered, patient deaths declined, missed care decreases, nurse retention improved and patient satisfaction raised.
She said the International Council of Nurses (ICN) emphasized that investing in nursing was investing in health, as nurses were at the heart of healthcare delivery and played critical roles as caregivers, advocates, innovators and leaders.
Mrs Akuffo said Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was fundamental to quality nursing care, adding that by integrating research evidence, clinical expertise and patient preferences, safety and outcomes improved.
She said specialisation was empowerment expressed through mastery, as critical care, oncology, health promotion and anaesthesia nurses developed advanced expertise that improved survival, enhances care quality and supports healthcare teams.
Mrs Akuffo added that specialisation also drives research, innovation and clinical guidelines.
She said despite their vital contributions, nurses faced barriers such as understaffing, unsafe workloads, limited career advancement, inadequate compensation and exclusion from health policy decisions.
She said investing in safe staffing, education, specialisation, leadership development, fair compensation and nurse participation in decision-making would empower nurses to reach their full potential.
Mrs Akuffo said empowering nurses through education, inclusion, resources, protection, respect, equity and specialisation would strengthen health systems and save lives.
“Nurses are the guardians of life, the champions of dignity, and the architects of a healthier future,” she added.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Reporter’s email address:[email protected]