| Policy
& Position Statement > Nurses’ Role in Planning and
Policy Making : |
  |
|
|
Nurses’
Role in Planning and Policy Making
Health
is a fundamental right of every individual in the country. Various
factors continue to widen the gap between Health "haves’
and "have nots". Lack of adequate Nursing input in
the existing health care policy of the Government is one of
the factors responsible for this disparity. The Government of
India is a signatory to World Health Organisation’s (WHO). Alma
Ata declaration, ‘ Health For All by 2000 AD’ (1978).
Since
the formulation of the Declaration the Government has been making
considerable efforts to promote the people’s right to health
and expanding its health care system of which Nurses are the
largest and an important manpower force. As such they have a
primary and pivotal role in the delivery of comprehensive health
care and medical services at all levels of the country’s health
care system.
Nursing
is predominantly a "Caring" profession which supports
and enables individuals, families, groups and the community
to promote, preserve and restore health. Health Services in
the realm of Primary-Health Care is a coordinated effort of
people and all health professionals. The very nature of Nurses’
work places them in the unique position, more than other professionals,
to obtain a great deal of relevant information on health matters,
while providing close and continued care in hospitals and community
health care settings.
Therefore,
Nurses’ information should be utilised for formulating a realistic
national health policy, by including/appointing Nurses on the
planning, policy making and administrative bodies of the Government.
Nurses as professional practitioners are responsible for and
provide direction to Nursing services, coordinate all kinds
of health service provided by other health professional and
people in a given health care setting including round-the-clock
In-patient services and tending to people in the community at
all times, even at odd hours and in distant places.
Nurse
practitioners do have long and sustained precedence of dedicated
team participation with other professionals involved in health
care services. Hence it is imperative to include them in planning
and policy making bodies at all levels. Professional education
of Nurse practitioners prepares them for making independent
and timely decisions based on keen observations and factual
information.
Therefore,
the TNAI believes that deployment of Nurses in planning, policy
making, administrative and managerial posts will ensure a meaningful
input of Nursing personnel’s information, in the overall health
care service system of the nation and health organisations at
the local, state, regional, national and international levels.
The
Trained Nurses’ Association of India also advocates the implementation
of the Nursing structure that has been recommended by the High
Power Committee on ‘Nursing and Nursing Profession’ in its Report
(1989). It further supports the essentiality of Nurses’ participation
and their appointment/placement on planning and policy making
bodies at all levels in State and Central Government/Public
Sector/Private Sector, etc.
This
will maximise proper utilization of Nurses’ potentials, e.g.,
their expertise, knowledge, skills and vast experience in strengthening
the Nursing components of the overall health care system which
will have a positive impact on people’s health as well as enable
Nurses to be accountable for their actions and effective services.
© 2002, Trained Nurses' Association of India (TNAI), All
Rights Reserved.