Leadnurse Africa Foundation urges nurses to acquire leadership skills
…Holds nursing conference
As part of efforts to reposition the nursing profession for more impact in the health sector and the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ,Leadnurse Africa International Foundation, has advised nurses to improve their skills for higher responsibilities in the sector.
To achieve this, the foundation in collaboration with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital ( LASUTH),Ikeja, is holding the first International Nursing Conference.
The conference, which holds from April 23 to 27 at LASUTH, has the theme: “Transformational Leadership:Developing nurses’ capacity towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa”.
Speaking on the forthcoming conference at a press briefing in Lagos, Executive Director, Leadnurse Africa International Foundation, Collins Ogbolo, said the objective of the conference is to build capacity of nurses for a transformational leadership role in the health sector that would bring about change in the narrative of nursing in Nigeria and Africa.
Ogbolo also said that the conference seeks to contribute to the attainment of the SDGs on good health and wellbeing by 2030 in Africa countries and beyond.
” We need to build capacity of nurses and reverse the poor health indices in Nigeria and Africa. Nurses should become a lead voice in acheiving the SDGs. In the past, the voice of nurses are not heard. But now,things have to chage because nurses are beginning to do things differently.
“African nursing community have the necessary capacity to contribute to the development of the health sector and the nuses are the ones that will provide the transformational leardership that the sector has been yearning for”he said.
To further empower nurses in the continent for leadership roles, The Executive Director, urged government and private sector to support nurses, while reminding African leaders that it was ‘practically impossible’ for Africa to have a sufficient healthcare without investing in nurses.
According to him, what was provided is not sufficient for the 21st century nurse to thrive .
He further explained: “Because capacity building is very important for nurses to perform optimally , the conference is geared at raising transformational leaders to play leading role in line with the SDGs objectives.
“ The conference will bring together nurses from hospitals , schools and administrative levels to ensure that right knowledge is impacted.”
Urging nurses working for government and private organisations to acquire more skills by embracing the conference, Ogbolo said, the gathering will present nurses and other stakeholders in the health sector opportunity to deliberate on the challenges of health care delivery in Nigeria and Africa.
