AHSA, 14 May 2005 — King Abdul Aziz National Guard Hospital in Ahsa joined the International Nurses Day celebrations organized by the National Guard Health Affairs in the Eastern Province with a series of conferences and seminars.
The three-day event on the theme “Safety in Caring” concluded on Wednesday, highlighting the importance and impact of the nursing profession in Saudi Arabia.
The guest speaker was Dr. Bothayna Murshid, associate dean of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences College in National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh who opened the proceedings with her paper, “Saudi Nursing — Past, Present and Future.”
Sally Gallagher, associate executive director of nursing services in the Eastern Province, said that the goal of the event was to increase the recognition of nursing as a noble profession in Saudi Arabia and to improve the performance level of the nursing staff.
“This gathering will be a good chance to exchange ideas and share experiences between nursing professionals, physicians and consultants from different hospitals in Ahsa,” said Dr. Ahmad Al-Arfaj, executive regional director of National Guard Health Affairs in the Eastern Province. He added that it would provide an opportunity to review performance levels and consider the latest technology and techniques in use.
Papers and presentations from the delegates covered a wide range of clinical and medical topics and included the importance of psychological support for patients already under care and those on waiting lists.
Insherah Abudeeb set the tone of the event saying nursing is “a vital profession as well as a management career, whether a nurse manages care of patients, the functioning of a hospital’s facilities, or assists in the day to day management of an health care or educational organization.”
She emphasized the role of a nurse by saying, “A nurse is a very important manager of the future health of people both in the Kingdom and the wider world.”
International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
