April 13, 2023 — The UP Manila College of Nursing (UPCN) capped off its 75th founding anniversary celebration by holding the International Scientific Conference in Nursing 2023 on April 12 to determine the future directions of nursing education, research, and public service.
ISCN 2023 Same Day Edit Video
Attended by over 400 nursing practitioners and advocates from the Philippines and foreign countries, the event held at the Rizal Park Hotel, Manila highlighted the college’s commitment to promoting excellence and relevance with the theme, “Building Resilient Nursing Workforce Amid Emerging Global Health Challenges.”
This is in line with the college’s mandate as a World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Leadership in Nursing Development to collaborate with different government and non-government organizations such as the Department of Health in being an agent of change and a the leader in improving nursing education, leading capacity building initiatives, and the advancement of careers and leadership opportunities for nurses in the Philippines.
DOH Officer-In-Charge Maria Rosario S. Vergeire giving her keynote message
“With our policies and initiatives underway, I invite all of you to realize our collective vision: a clear roadmap for nursing practice in the country whose healthcare system empowers allied healthcare professionals and puts primacy in improving the welfare of our nurses,” said DOH Officer-In-Charge Maria Rosario S. Vergeire in her keynote speech.
UPCN Dean Sheila R. Bonito underscored in her opening remarks the importance of the conference as it provided the opportunity to reflect on the future of nursing education. “We aim to engage in meaningful discussions and collaborations that will advance the nursing profession, improve healthcare outcomes, and of course discuss the issues and challenges that we are facing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic including the economic challenges that we have.”
UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla added that the conference also provided avenues for nursing practitioners to enhance their skills not just in the clinical setting, but also in the field of research and administration. She believed that Filipino nurses are more than capable of performing multiple roles in the hospital, and that their presence in the clinical setting is highly fundamental in healthcare delivery. Therefore, it is imperative that their needs must be met in order to leverage as well the quality of patient care in the Philippines.
In a keynote speech, World Health Organization WPRO Coordinator Lluis Vinyals Torrres iterated the same dilemma by emphasizing the great need for Filipino nurses to be involved in the decision making processes of the national healthcare system. He stressed that by doing so, the Philippines will create more nurses that are highly skilled and motivated to perform their jobs.
World Health Organization WPRO Coordinator Lluis Vinyals Torrres
Philippine General Hospital Director Gerardo Legaspi, on the other hand, shared that the hospital is on its way in improving health research and this is soon hoped to improve the welfare of both PGH patients and healthcare providers.
The conference tackled the following topics: streamlining nursing education, improving nurse involvement in health policy makings, promoting healthy work environments, utilizing modern technologies in health promotion, advancing nursing practice, and breaking down the issue of nurse migration from the Philippines.
Ribbon cutting ceremony for the poster presentations
A poster presentation was held as part of the conference with several participants winning awards.
January R. Kanindot and Francis Nicole G. Maga
