Nurse educators at AKUSN&N launches critical care training of COVID-19 frontline staff launched

Nurse educators at AKUSN&N launches critical care training of COVID-19 frontline staff launched

Karachi (Jan 12, 2021) ​Nurse educators at Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, SONAM, have launched a training programme that seeks to build the capacity of nurses and critical care technicians working with COVID-19 patients at public sector hospitals across the province.

The training is part of a collaboration between AKU and the Sindh government, which was signed in April 2020, to ensure the effective management and treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients. 

The initiative involves SONAM providing free of cost simulated-based training and ongoing mentorship to 180 nurse instructors, practicing nurses and critical care technicians working in public sector hospitals in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Khairpur, Nawabshah and Larkana. These 180 frontline healthcare workers will then train over 1,200 allied health staff across the country.

SONAM Dean Dr Rozina Karmaliani said: “The knowledge sharing, and capacity building initiatives under this initiative will enable us to collectively build a stronger and resilient health system and provide quality care to people across Pakistan.”

Director General Nursing Sindh Ms Khair-un-nisa Khan praised the support extended by the School, adding: “We are delighted to partner with SONAM for this very timely and need-responsive initiative. We are also looking at ways to expand these skill-based trainings and nursing faculty development beyond COVID to allow for sustainability of this project.”

Commenting on the educational modules under this training programme, SONAM’s assistant dean for clinical practice Dr Rubina Barolia, who is also the project director, said: “The workshops designed for this programme will help nurses and technicians use evidence-based approaches in the handling and management of not only critical cases of COVID-19, but all patients in intensive care units, ICU. The modules are also easily adaptable to similar settings across low and middle-income countries and can potentially transform the future of ICU care.”

The training programme consists of three phases and will continue until August 2021. 

Source: AKUH Web