KARACHI, June 12: The Aga Khan University on Tuesday organised a symposium to mark the International Nursing Day, which was observed across the world on May 12.

Various speakers, including the provincial minister for women development, Dr Saeeda Malik, maintained that nurses were the integral part of a patient care system and as such they deserved recognition and rights equal to their male counterparts at their work places as well as in society.

The minister said that such an environment was the key to effective delivery of nursing services. She stressed the need for recognising nurses as equal team members.

Dr Malik referred to some discriminatory attitudes against female nurses and urged their respective bodies and organisations to address the issue and sought help of legislators, if needed.

The Pakistan Nursing Council and Pakistan Nursing Federation should ensure that nurses were given autonomy and empowerment in performing their responsibilities towards patients and their own families, she said, adding that efforts were also needed to eliminate factors causing job dissatisfaction among nurses.

The theme of the symposium was ‘Positive practice environments: quality workplaces enhance quality patient care’. A large number of nurses and nursing leaders from the AKU as well as of other hospitals attended the daylong event.

Dr Khurshid Khowaja, director of Nursing Services of AKUH, said that the event was meant to provide a platform to nursing colleagues from all over the country to share their ideas, thoughts and feelings.

The deliberations would surely go a long way in enhancing knowledge and promotion of concepts of research in nursing by reviewing new literature and researches, Dr Khowaja added.

The acting provost of the AKU, Dr David Taylor, said that professional nurses needed an environment that acknowledged the social and health mandate of their discipline. A researcher from USA, Dr Riffat Jan, and Dr Rozina Karmaliani also spoke.

A panel discussion was also held, wherein, among others, Barrister Shahida Jamil also spoke.

The issue of violation of nurses’ rights and harassment, enhancement of their professional capacity, prejudice against working women were taken up by the panellists, who demanded for more respect to nurses and befitting changes in their case.