WEBVTT 00:00:09.870 --> 00:00:14.599 position:50% align:middle Greetings everyone, and thank you to David Benton and your team at 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:17.960 position:50% align:middle the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for inviting me to join you. 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:22.356 position:50% align:middle It's a great honor to be here and to speak at your conference today. 00:00:23.050 --> 00:00:28.010 position:50% align:middle First of all, I want to thank you all for your tremendous commitment and courage leading our 00:00:28.010 --> 00:00:30.257 position:50% align:middle profession during the last year. 00:00:30.257 --> 00:00:35.910 position:50% align:middle It has been an unimaginable difficult time, and I recognize that every one of you will have faced 00:00:35.910 --> 00:00:40.510 position:50% align:middle challenges and have made sacrifices as a result of the pandemic. 00:00:40.510 --> 00:00:47.010 position:50% align:middle The fight against COVID-19 has tested us all as a profession across the world, as a community, 00:00:47.010 --> 00:00:48.860 position:50% align:middle and as individuals. 00:00:48.860 --> 00:00:54.830 position:50% align:middle The world has needed us more than ever before, and I could not be more proud of our global response. 00:00:54.830 --> 00:01:00.550 position:50% align:middle If we carefully emerge from this crisis, we must ensure that we take care of each other and 00:01:06.926 --> 00:01:08.230 position:50% align:middle of our own well-being and mental health at the same time as we provide support for a vast number of health 00:01:08.230 --> 00:01:13.770 position:50% align:middle and care workers who we know are at risk of burnout and depression. 00:01:13.770 --> 00:01:21.000 position:50% align:middle The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated our world for 18 months and despite the challenges and disruptions we 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:26.010 position:50% align:middle have all experienced, as leaders, we have a responsibility to reflect on our work, 00:01:26.010 --> 00:01:31.950 position:50% align:middle learn lessons from the recent past, and find opportunities to strengthen our profession, 00:01:31.950 --> 00:01:36.740 position:50% align:middle particularly in the areas where we have struggled the most. 00:01:36.740 --> 00:01:43.010 position:50% align:middle As we slowly move forward at different paces and in different ways, we take with us shared experiences and 00:01:43.010 --> 00:01:50.070 position:50% align:middle stories that will inform and influence not only our way of life but our practice as nurses for many 00:01:50.070 --> 00:01:51.880 position:50% align:middle years to come. 00:01:51.880 --> 00:01:58.840 position:50% align:middle Some of the systems and practices on nursing that have evolved and changed in response to COVID-19 crisis will 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:01.140 position:50% align:middle never return to the pre-pandemic models. 00:02:01.140 --> 00:02:05.540 position:50% align:middle It is vital that we share these changes and initiatives. 00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:10.810 position:50% align:middle Listen and learn from each other and seize opportunities where we can, 00:02:10.810 --> 00:02:17.080 position:50% align:middle not only to grow as a profession but to harness the support of those we need around us who will help us 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:23.840 position:50% align:middle to position nurses at the tables where we are needed and need to be. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:28.320 position:50% align:middle Nurses have played a central role during the COVID-19 pandemic. 00:02:28.320 --> 00:02:32.310 position:50% align:middle Whilst they have always been at the forefront of healthcare service delivery, 00:02:32.310 --> 00:02:39.910 position:50% align:middle this pandemic has made the profession and the work that nurses do even more prominent and more visible. 00:02:39.910 --> 00:02:45.090 position:50% align:middle As we pause to reflect and regroup, it is clear that we now have an opportunity 00:02:45.090 --> 00:02:50.210 position:50% align:middle to influence healthcare strategy, a mandate to lead in government and make the necessary 00:02:50.210 --> 00:02:53.150 position:50% align:middle shifts in policy and action. 00:02:53.150 --> 00:02:58.900 position:50% align:middle To act as agents of change, we must ensure that our guidance, our strategies, 00:02:58.900 --> 00:03:05.350 position:50% align:middle and programs of transformation are informed by high-quality, accurate and current data. 00:03:05.350 --> 00:03:07.850 position:50% align:middle Another source of data becomes the evidence for change. 00:03:07.850 --> 00:03:14.580 position:50% align:middle This was evident in May this year when there was a historic moment with nursing when all member states 00:03:14.580 --> 00:03:18.850 position:50% align:middle endorsed a resolution at the 74th World Health Assembly. 00:03:18.850 --> 00:03:25.830 position:50% align:middle The resolution was informed by the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021 - 2025. 00:03:25.830 --> 00:03:33.500 position:50% align:middle Its policy priorities in four major areas, education, jobs, leadership, and service delivery will strengthen 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:40.470 position:50% align:middle both nursing and midwifery and I hope it will ensure the further development of nurses as leaders at the 00:03:40.470 --> 00:03:43.260 position:50% align:middle most senior level in governments. 00:03:43.260 --> 00:03:47.880 position:50% align:middle We know there is varying presence of nursing leadership in senior national posts, 00:03:47.880 --> 00:03:51.190 position:50% align:middle and our voice is often absent or quiet. 00:03:51.190 --> 00:03:52.830 position:50% align:middle This must change. 00:03:52.830 --> 00:03:58.810 position:50% align:middle Our management during the pandemic has highlighted the crucial position we hold in effective management of the 00:03:58.810 --> 00:04:02.610 position:50% align:middle national nursing workforce, so that its contribution to population 00:04:02.610 --> 00:04:04.620 position:50% align:middle health is realized. 00:04:04.620 --> 00:04:10.590 position:50% align:middle This perspective must now be incorporated into health policies and decision making. 00:04:10.590 --> 00:04:15.550 position:50% align:middle From the state of the world's nursing report, we know that the presence of a government chief nursing 00:04:15.550 --> 00:04:21.900 position:50% align:middle officer and national nursing leadership programs are associated with a stronger regulatory environment, 00:04:21.900 --> 00:04:27.240 position:50% align:middle a more educated and better governed workforce and safer patient care. 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:33.880 position:50% align:middle The varying responses to managing the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated more than ever the importance 00:04:33.880 --> 00:04:35.670 position:50% align:middle of good governance. 00:04:35.670 --> 00:04:40.900 position:50% align:middle It has highlighted the weak and rigid public financial management systems which do not allow 00:04:40.900 --> 00:04:44.940 position:50% align:middle for sufficient and flexible financial allocations. 00:04:44.940 --> 00:04:47.750 position:50% align:middle It challenged current models of service delivery. 00:04:47.750 --> 00:04:53.550 position:50% align:middle In many countries, public health services were not prepared for triage and contact tracing. 00:04:53.550 --> 00:04:59.210 position:50% align:middle Hospitals became overcrowded and struggled to provide care for everyone who needed it. 00:04:59.210 --> 00:05:05.450 position:50% align:middle Some emergency responses were impaired by difficulties around distribution and use of medicines and medical 00:05:05.450 --> 00:05:07.540 position:50% align:middle products and PPE. 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:13.490 position:50% align:middle It resulted in an increased workload, and in many situations, staff were overwhelmed. 00:05:13.490 --> 00:05:20.440 position:50% align:middle Whilst many countries around the world had to import PPE to supplement their existing stock, 00:05:20.440 --> 00:05:30.960 position:50% align:middle some countries reported quality issues with the products received, some of which was unusable. 00:05:30.960 --> 00:05:37.340 position:50% align:middle As nurses, we have been exposed and affected by the consequences of inadequate planning, 00:05:37.340 --> 00:05:41.420 position:50% align:middle and as nursing leaders, we must contribute to the strategies that ensure we are 00:05:41.420 --> 00:05:44.370 position:50% align:middle never in this situation again. 00:05:44.370 --> 00:05:49.810 position:50% align:middle Part of the solutions must to be to embrace technologies and digital solutions that work 00:05:49.810 --> 00:05:54.960 position:50% align:middle in partnership with the traditional skills of our profession and a more 00:05:54.960 --> 00:05:57.150 position:50% align:middle inclusive inter-professional teamwork. 00:05:57.150 --> 00:06:03.180 position:50% align:middle The adoption of innovative learning and working strategies is essential for new health professionals 00:06:03.180 --> 00:06:06.010 position:50% align:middle to acquire the skills needed for modern healthcare delivery. 00:06:06.010 --> 00:06:12.330 position:50% align:middle The use of telehealth technology is an approach that is both patient-centered and protects patients, 00:06:12.330 --> 00:06:15.010 position:50% align:middle health workers and communities. 00:06:15.010 --> 00:06:19.420 position:50% align:middle It will require reforms in the systems for training and education of nurses. 00:06:19.420 --> 00:06:24.710 position:50% align:middle And as leaders, we must support the opportunities that technological advances offer for safer and 00:06:24.710 --> 00:06:26.950 position:50% align:middle more patient-centered care. 00:06:26.950 --> 00:06:28.920 position:50% align:middle Our workforce is fragile. 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:33.030 position:50% align:middle As a result of the pandemic, we know many are suffering from burnout. 00:06:33.030 --> 00:06:40.140 position:50% align:middle We must pay special attention to protect and retain our nurses and pay ethical considerations for migration 00:06:40.140 --> 00:06:41.780 position:50% align:middle of these professionals. 00:06:41.780 --> 00:06:46.740 position:50% align:middle The countries that recruit nurses from abroad should follow ethical recruitment principles, 00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:51.460 position:50% align:middle ensure working conditions are compatible with individual nurse's qualifications, 00:06:51.460 --> 00:06:56.080 position:50% align:middle their skills and experience, and provide family-friendly contracts that allow nurses 00:06:56.080 --> 00:06:59.010 position:50% align:middle the freedom to return home or bring their families with them. 00:06:59.010 --> 00:07:04.007 position:50% align:middle Alongside ethical recruitment principles, full implementation of the 00:07:04.007 --> 00:07:09.376 position:50% align:middle WHO's Global Code of Practices on the International Recruitment of Health Workers 00:07:09.376 --> 00:07:15.520 position:50% align:middle is needed to realize the global vision of building a healthier world together. 00:07:15.520 --> 00:07:21.020 position:50% align:middle As nurse leaders in government ministries and private sectors, we must lead change that builds a program 00:07:21.020 --> 00:07:27.070 position:50% align:middle of education and recruitment to foster self-sufficiency by making nursing a more desirable and 00:07:27.070 --> 00:07:29.670 position:50% align:middle valued career choice. 00:07:29.670 --> 00:07:35.370 position:50% align:middle As we move forward, we have learnt the importance of having senior nursing leaders at the tables where 00:07:35.370 --> 00:07:38.850 position:50% align:middle decisions around strategy and planning are made. 00:07:38.850 --> 00:07:44.223 position:50% align:middle Healthcare services rely on nurses, so nurses must be involved in the decisions around how 00:07:44.223 --> 00:07:45.430 position:50% align:middle they are delivered. 00:07:45.430 --> 00:07:52.620 position:50% align:middle To do this, well, we must step outside our own spheres of expertise and engage with those whose 00:07:52.620 --> 00:07:54.310 position:50% align:middle stage we share. 00:07:54.310 --> 00:07:59.920 position:50% align:middle We need to work alongside economists, lawyers, environmentalists, and politicians. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:06.340 position:50% align:middle And if we want them to hear what we have to say, we have to understand the world that they work in and 00:08:06.340 --> 00:08:09.210 position:50% align:middle the language that they speak. 00:08:09.210 --> 00:08:14.790 position:50% align:middle This is particularly important when we look at the role of nurses in the delivery of vaccines. 00:08:14.790 --> 00:08:21.530 position:50% align:middle Nurses have always been a key part of vaccine campaigns, not only in public health campaigns, 00:08:21.530 --> 00:08:26.020 position:50% align:middle vaccine distribution and administration, but by providing information and support 00:08:26.020 --> 00:08:32.770 position:50% align:middle for communities and individuals who are hesitant and unsure about the safety of vaccine. 00:08:32.770 --> 00:08:38.800 position:50% align:middle We have had many examples of the nurses' role in vaccine distribution since the very first cholera 00:08:38.800 --> 00:08:43.140 position:50% align:middle vaccines were administered in the late 1880s. 00:08:43.140 --> 00:08:49.150 position:50% align:middle Prior to the discovery of the polio vaccine in the 1950s, nurses were specialized in the care of patients 00:08:49.150 --> 00:08:51.510 position:50% align:middle with the severe but debilitating disease. 00:08:51.510 --> 00:08:57.420 position:50% align:middle But once the vaccine became available, their skill shifted to provide vaccine clinics and 00:08:57.420 --> 00:09:00.100 position:50% align:middle to care for people with post-polio syndrome. 00:09:01.959 --> 00:09:05.890 position:50% align:middle Childhood immunization programs across the world have been led by nurses and midwives, 00:09:05.890 --> 00:09:10.170 position:50% align:middle and as a profession, we are no strangers to the operational planning that 00:09:10.170 --> 00:09:15.240 position:50% align:middle comes with the distribution, safe storage of vaccine, and education. 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:19.750 position:50% align:middle [inaudible] nursing communities exist across the world with vast insight, knowledge, 00:09:19.750 --> 00:09:21.840 position:50% align:middle and skills in leading vaccine programs. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:24.300 position:50% align:middle This is not new. 00:09:24.300 --> 00:09:28.930 position:50% align:middle But as the world is facing one of its biggest challenges ever, to vaccinate as many people 00:09:28.930 --> 00:09:34.620 position:50% align:middle as possible against COVID-19, we must ensure that our knowledge, our expertise, 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:40.670 position:50% align:middle and leadership is built into the infrastructure of all vaccination programs in order to ensure they are 00:09:40.670 --> 00:09:42.350 position:50% align:middle sustainable and safe. 00:09:42.350 --> 00:09:47.780 position:50% align:middle The first COVID-19 vaccine was administered over seven months ago. 00:09:47.780 --> 00:09:52.030 position:50% align:middle Since that time, more than 12 different vaccines have been created. 00:09:52.030 --> 00:09:57.420 position:50% align:middle And as of the beginning of July, WHO have reported that almost 3 billion vaccines have 00:09:57.420 --> 00:10:02.540 position:50% align:middle been administered across the world, with just under 1.2 billion people having received 00:10:02.540 --> 00:10:05.930 position:50% align:middle at least their first dose. 00:10:05.930 --> 00:10:09.225 position:50% align:middle COVAX is a partnership of four global organizations. 00:10:09.225 --> 00:10:14.870 position:50% align:middle It's the only worldwide initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 00:10:14.870 --> 00:10:20.100 position:50% align:middle vaccines are available to both higher-income and lower-income countries. 00:10:20.100 --> 00:10:25.580 position:50% align:middle It has committed to distributing two billion doses of vaccine by the end of the year, 00:10:25.580 --> 00:10:31.160 position:50% align:middle and the WHO Director General has called on leaders to vaccinate at least 10% of people in all countries 00:10:31.160 --> 00:10:33.080 position:50% align:middle by the end of September. 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:40.110 position:50% align:middle Dr. Tedros has said that this would protect health workers and those in most risk, 00:10:40.110 --> 00:10:45.920 position:50% align:middle effectively ending the acute stage of the pandemic and saving a lot of lives. 00:10:45.920 --> 00:10:52.010 position:50% align:middle Also, it is not the role of the WHO to make vaccines mandatory amongst healthcare workers. 00:10:52.010 --> 00:10:58.190 position:50% align:middle I encourage those who are hesitant or anxious about having a vaccine to make informed decisions based 00:10:58.190 --> 00:11:03.420 position:50% align:middle on to update evidence from WHO. 00:11:03.420 --> 00:11:14.290 position:50% align:middle By early July, WHO recorded that 540,260,775 people were fully vaccinated. 00:11:14.290 --> 00:11:20.880 position:50% align:middle That is 6.84% of the entire 7.9 billion world population. 00:11:20.880 --> 00:11:32.130 position:50% align:middle This includes 99.7 per 100 people in the USA, 113.5 per 100 in the UK, 45 per 100 in Brazil, 00:11:32.130 --> 00:11:42.760 position:50% align:middle 87 per 100 in Germany, and 0.8 in Zambia, only 0.17 per 100 in the Democratic Republic of Congo 00:11:42.760 --> 00:11:46.710 position:50% align:middle who are the least vaccinated countries in the world. 00:11:46.710 --> 00:11:52.270 position:50% align:middle While this shows us that it is possible to vaccinate entire countries in a short space of time, 00:11:52.270 --> 00:11:58.380 position:50% align:middle it also highlights the huge inequalities that exist in the healthcare delivery between high and 00:11:58.380 --> 00:11:59.580 position:50% align:middle low income populations. 00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:04.940 position:50% align:middle Not only access to vaccines, but access to good healthcare must continue to be our 00:12:04.940 --> 00:12:10.549 position:50% align:middle goal as we learn our lessons from the pandemic and as we build our strategies around 00:12:10.549 --> 00:12:14.800 position:50% align:middle the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery. 00:12:14.800 --> 00:12:19.780 position:50% align:middle We have learned that we need to strengthen our numbers, that we need to provide an educated and 00:12:19.780 --> 00:12:24.560 position:50% align:middle regulated profession, and that we need to lead the design and the delivery 00:12:24.560 --> 00:12:32.170 position:50% align:middle of healthcare services that can react and respond to whatever challenges we face in the years to come. 00:12:32.170 --> 00:12:38.220 position:50% align:middle Health for all must be our objective for those we care for and for us, the carers. 00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:43.890 position:50% align:middle We can maximize on the advancing technologies available for education and training and for continuing 00:12:43.890 --> 00:12:50.210 position:50% align:middle professional developments for networking and enable a support system for each other. 00:12:50.210 --> 00:12:56.000 position:50% align:middle I am pleased to be able to say that in the next few weeks, my office will be launching a global community 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:59.060 position:50% align:middle of practice for nurses and midwives. 00:12:59.060 --> 00:13:04.990 position:50% align:middle This is an exciting new initiative to support work in countries to spread the nursing and midwifery and 00:13:04.990 --> 00:13:09.650 position:50% align:middle create opportunities for you to network with one another through a virtual platform. 00:13:09.650 --> 00:13:15.660 position:50% align:middle It will offer resources, masterclasses, webinars, and mentorship opportunities supported by my office 00:13:15.660 --> 00:13:17.770 position:50% align:middle at the World Health Organization. 00:13:17.770 --> 00:13:23.690 position:50% align:middle I look forward to welcome you all to the community of practice in due course. 00:13:23.690 --> 00:13:29.070 position:50% align:middle The recent nursing and midwifery resolution at World Health Assembly has given us a clear message that we 00:13:29.070 --> 00:13:35.800 position:50% align:middle need to invest in nursing and midwifery and our reflections from the past year tell us loud and clear 00:13:35.800 --> 00:13:43.100 position:50% align:middle that if we wait until COVID-19 is over to make this investment, it will be too late. 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:44.581 position:50% align:middle I thank you.