Rose-Mary Haufiku
Founder and council chair of the International University of Management David Namwandi has acknowledged that nurses are the backbone of every health system and their importance cannot be overemphasised. He also said nurses are agents of change and are very important to any health system of any given country.
Namwandi said this during the nursing graduands’ oath taking ceremony on Wednesday at IUM main campus in Windhoek.
“Since they account for more than half of the global health workforce, they are therefore vital for the realisation of the vision of universal health coverage,” he added.
Namwandi advised the nursing graduands that when they take the oath, it is important for them to reflect on their responsibilities as the voice for health and human rights.
He further said it is important for one that in the course of their profession, they observe, uphold and protect patients’ rights in every way possible.
“The onus is on you to advocate for patients’ rights by making sure that the necessary and relevant care is rendered at all time,” he encouraged.
He also acknowledged nurses’ rights but said their rights go hand in hand with responsibilities, liabilities and accountability. This simply means that they cannot expect to exercise their rights without accepting corresponding duties and responsibilities.
“You should always bear in mind that at the end of the day, you are answerable for your actions. Human rights violation can have serious consequences physically and psychologically for patients,” he said.
Since the introduction of the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) degree at IUM in 2017, 163 nurses have graduated and 13 students have graduated with a post-graduate diploma in Paediatric Nursing since its commencement in 2019.
This year, 42 midwifery students will graduate, of which only two are males.
At the ceremony, they also acknowledged the four best clinical practice students.