Australian nursing organisations, including the ANMF have welcomed the Australian launch of the global Nursing Now campaign.
Nursing Now aims to improve health globally by raising the profile and status of nurses worldwide influencing policymakers and supporting nurses themselves to lead, learn and build a global movement.
Nursing Now Co-Chair and UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health Lord Nigel Crisp said that developing nursing was one of the single biggest things that could be done to improve health globally.
“The energy, expertise and commitment demonstrated by Nursing Now Australia will make an invaluable contribution to our growing global campaign. We are united in our efforts to improve health globally by raising the profile of nursing and midwifery.”
Australian College of Nursing CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward said nursing organisations had long called for greater inclusion of the nursing profession in policy development and implementation.
“Nurses make up the largest proportion of our healthcare workforce and overall have the most personal interaction with patients, giving them incredible insight into the challenges Australia faces and the best solutions.”
Launched in London in February 2018, the Nursing Now campaign has high-profile supporters including the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. The campaign which will run until the end of 2020 aims to raise the profile and status of nurses, enhance their influence and maximise contributions to ensure that everyone everywhere has access to health and healthcare.
Since the campaign’s global launch, the ANMF had been actively working together with key national nursing organisations to formulate Australia’s contribution, ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said.
“The campaign aims to highlight the contribution nurses make to improving health outcomes so the profession can be empowered to work to its full scope and help push for universal health coverage. We have a wonderful universal health insurance scheme in Australia, the problem is unequal access.
“If you are an Indigenous person, live in rural or remote Australia, are disabled, have a mental illness or are below the poverty line, you can expect much worse health outcomes.
“We need to see the expansion of nurse-led models of care that are innovative, increase access and lead to better health outcomes for communities.”
For more information, visit https://www.nursingnow.australia.org/australia/
