BRUNEI-MUARA

A NEW nursing course will be offered at the Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), announced the Education Minister yesterday.

Speaking at the opening of the Second National Nursing Conference on Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB), Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Awg Abu Bakar Hj Apong said the Health Sciences Advanced Diploma in Ophthalmic Nursing will be introduced in January 2015.

To ensure nurses are equipped with the knowledge and skills, he said the government remains committed to its priority of building the capacity and professionalism of nurses. “With these efforts, nurses will be able to follow the development of medical science, the latest technological advances, trends of diseases, as well as learning the best practices that are proven effective, efficient and safe,” said the minister.

The Institute of Health Sciences currently runs courses for nursing, midwifery and paramedics at diploma, advanced diploma and undergraduate levels.

According to YB Pehin Dato Dr Hj Abu Bakar, 127 undergraduate degrees and 42 advanced diplomas have been awarded to date. Meanwhile, 294 nursing and midwifery students have completed diplomas from 2009 to 2014.  “The diversity of these programs aims to meet the needs of health services in the country,” he said, describing nursing as the backbone of the health care system.

 Alongside their Code of Ethics, Code of Professional Conduct and Standard Practice for Registered Nurses and Midwives in Brunei, the minister also called on nurses to practice the national philosophy of MIB in the treatment and care of patients.  

Commenting on the conference theme of “Achieving Excellence in Nursing in Brunei”, he hoped the working papers will form the basis of a National Nursing Framework modeled on MIB. “Not only that, this template should be translated into the standard practice that are specified for use by nurses in handling patient care processes in hospitals and health centers across the country,” he said, advising other healthcare professions to follow suit. He further urged for a review of the modules taught at the Institute of Health Sciences to make room for MIB values.

To ensure the sustainability of such efforts, YB Pehin Dato (Dr) Hj Awg Abu Bakar said a Comprehensive Strategic Plan should be formulated to include concrete measures in the application of MIB in the daily tasks of all professions in the medical and health services.  He added that MIB-driven measures would be implemented at every level including the early stages of processing human resources.  Organised by the MIB Supreme Council and the National Nursing Association of Brunei (PENJURU), the two-day conference at The Empire Hotel & Country Club brought together experts to discuss the role of MIB in nursing.

 The minister also launched a book titled “MIB the Identity of Brunei” featuring working papers presented at the inaugural National Nursing Conference on MIB in January.

The Brunei Times