December 15, 2019 — As the Philippines transitions its health system to one that provides universal health services for all Filipinos, the role of all health professionals is deemed crucial for the attainment of the goals of Republic Act 11223 or Universal Health Care Act of 2019. The law gives Filipinos access to the full continuum of health services they need while protecting them from enduring financial hardships as a result.
In line with building the capacities of public health nurses for their tasks under the UHC, the UP College of Nursing spearheaded the conduct of a Leadership Development Training Course for Public Health Nurses on Nov. 5-15, 2019 for Phase I and on Dec. 3-13, 2019 for Phase 2.
During the graduation rites for the 43 nurses who comprised the initial batch of trainees, UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla stated that being the largest group of health professionals, nurses are uniquely positioned to address specific issues in the health system. In various areas in the country where there are still no physicians, nurses stand out to address the service delivery gap. The expansive skill set that nurses have will enable them to participate in direct patient care, program management and planning, and implementing and evaluating population-focused interventions.
“This leadership course is important as it provides additional competencies for public health nurses to be key players in our health system,” stated Chancellor Padilla.
The 20-day course provided the nurses with valuable knowledge and insights on analyzing issues and problems from a systems perspective. With the gamut and complexities of problems encountered daily in the country’s health system, it is easy to view problems from a myopic perspective that may lead to short-term solutions.
The course equipped the nurses with competencies in systems thinking which they will hopefully be able to fully apply in their own localities. As the pioneer batch, the graduates are expected to exemplify the leadership potentials of public health nurses and lead fellow nurses in discharging their tasks, especially with the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act.
