KIU, Western Campus – As KIU Teaching Hospital joins the rest of the world to mark the 2020 Nurses Week, emphasis will be put on enhancing the contribution of nursing documentation towards the clinical care of the patients.

This will mainly focus on documentation of the case histories of patients as well as case management. Case management yields cost-effective outcomes that are patient-centric, safe and are provided in the least restrictive setting.

The World Health Organization named 2020 the International Year of the Nurse to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founder of Modern Nursing, Florence Nightingale, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has shone the spotlight on the role of nurses in attaining effective health care.

Sr Elizabeth Kamahoro, the Principal Nursing Officer (PNO) of the hospital called on nurses to face the pandemic with courage and protect themselves from being the next casualties.

“This is a calling for us to fight the fight she (Florence Nightingale) fought before.  She started the nursing profession during the Crimean War in late 1854,” she said.

“So, this could not be a coincidence that when we celebrate her 200^th anniversary, a pandemic had to show up,” she added.

She expressed faith that the nurses will draw inspiration from last year’s successful effort to organize the departments using the 5 S’s.

“Last year we did the 5 Ss, which are; Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize and Sustain, to organize the departments and it was successful. So, we decided, let’s do documentation this year,” Sr Kamahoro said.

KIU Teaching Hospital Nursing department’s organized staff structure was one of the factors considered while naming them this year’s All-Pro American Nurse International award Winners.

The Nursing week started on 6^th May and will climax with the International Nurses Day on 12^th May and it’s held under the theme, “Nurses: A Voice to Lead-Nursing the World to Health.”