THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE IN THE MEDICAL TEAM
On 1st July 2021, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a commemorative coin and certificate to national nursing associations and ICN members to thank them for their service during the International Year of the nurse and midwife and the COVID-19 pandemic. The coins and certificates were designed by former ICN board member, Kallooa Bagooaduth. Signed by Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, and Annette Kennedy, ICN President, the commemorative coins and certificates also mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. They are being sent to the ICN Board and members of national sister associations in honor of ICN Founders' Day on 1 July. (https://nursing-bg.com/)
In recent years, a major problem in the health care systems in the Republic of Bulgaria, the countries of the European Union and on a global scale is the sharply reduced number of nurses. According to the data of the Bulgarian Association of Healthcare Professionals (BAHPA), the healthcare system lacks about 30,000 nurses, and in order to meet the standard adopted by the International Nursing Congress.. "one nurse to care for four patients" are 60,000 nurses needed. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls on countries to create at least 6 million new medical jobs by 2030, to compensate the "global shortage".
Maintaining a woman's health during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period makes the Midwifery profession necessary, relevant and significant. The midwife is a leading professional in providing effective prenatal and postnatal care. She is part of the treatment team in AG treatment facilities and clinics. Against the background of the ever-increasing number of hospital and outpatient treatment facilities and the growing need for midwives in Bulgaria, there is a shortage of them. According to data from the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals (BAHPA), the health care system currently lacks about 4,000 midwives.
IN 2021. IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF EDUCATION IN SPECIALTIES: NURSE AND MIDWIFE AT "ANGEL KUNCHEV" UNIVERSITY OF RUSE, FACULTY OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE.
More than 300 students have graduated and found their fulfillment in medical institutions on the territory of the city of Ruse: UMBAL "Medika", UMBAL "Kanev", SBALPFZ "Dr. Dimitar Gramatikov", KOC- Ruse, etc.
OPINIONS FROM SUCCESSFUL DOCTORS ON THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE IN THE MEDICAL TEAM
Prof. Dr. Ognyan Hadjiyski, MD - UMBAL "Medika" – Ruse
I am convinced that the success of a good doctor is due to the good team he is able to build. Nurses play a key role in this team. I have deep respect for the work, professionalism and dedication of the nurse, because she is not only the mediator between doctor and patient. The good work of the doctor with the patient undoubtedly depends on the nurse. She is the one who is closest to the sufferer, she is the person he sees most often and to whom he first turns for help. Her capacity for empathy, for quick and adequate actions in a specific situation, not only soothes the suffering of the patient, but also very important is the information, the report that she will prepare for the attending physician about the patient's condition, about his crises, needs, progress in the treatment. As a surgeon, I know how important the assisting nurse is to a successful operation. In a crisis situation, she acts as the doctor's doctor. Her calm confidence and precision in action, the ability to observe and literally anticipate the needs of both the patient and the operating physician, is what saves lives. Sometimes even before I say the words, the experienced nurse has sensed what I need and does it or hands me what I need. It is she who brings or restores harmony where there is danger of it being disturbed. I will never forget when I first realized how important the role of the nurse is. As a young doctor in the Ruse hospital, in the early 1970s, while on duty, we had a crisis situation with an emergency burn patient. Until then I had mostly assisted in operations. But there was not much time to gather a team, an emergency operation was required and every minute counted. I didn't know if I could handle it. The head nurse of the ward sensed my hesitation and said "We're doing it! I will be by your side. I have experience and I know you can handle it!" These are the words you need to enter the operating room with the calm confidence that you have someone you can rely on in any situation! The doctor and the nurse are a team. Working in emergency conditions requires a specific organization, making quick and adequate decisions. The time factor is of the essence. The responsibilities are great. The entire healing process depends on them. A nurse is not just a doer. She visits together with the doctor, applies the prescribed therapy, reports and monitors the indicators of the patients under the prescribed treatment. The development of the healing process depends on the information given to the doctor by these observations. There is no place for "trial and error" in this profession. Of course, good professional training is also needed. A quick and accurate response depends on this. They have to judge when to let the doctor know that something is going on with the patient and when they can handle the situation themselves. I admire the quiet feat of these women and I wish people would realize what their workload is and how many purely human qualities are needed to fulfill their mission, because it is not just a profession, it is a vocation!
Prof. Dr. O. Hadjiyski, dm
Dr. Temenuzhka Mateva, manager of the Mental Health Care
The nursing profession is a vocation, a way of life and a responsibility. In order to practice this noble profession, it is necessary to possess a set of virtues, medical knowledge, competences, emotional culture and many purely human qualities. Nowadays, the profession of "Nurse" is extremely necessary, it is essential in working together with the doctor and other members of the multidisciplinary team. Its responsibility is constantly increasing in response to the ever-increasing needs and demands of our patients and consumers. With the change of the educational qualification and the increased competences, the nurse occupies an increasingly worthy place as a partner to the doctor in the treatment and preventive activities. Relationships in the medical team are based on trust, responsibility, and a common goal in the healing process. Healthcare without a nurse is impossible. The work of a nurse is complex, responsible, emotionally and physically exhausting, daily stressful. This determines the need for these professionals to receive the necessary respect and good remuneration for their work. This is an extremely up-to-date profession, convertible, giving the opportunity for realization in different directions and different countries. Unfortunately, the crisis of such personnel is becoming more and more tangible and dates back years. Not enough has been done by society to make this profession attractive, to be chosen by young people and to have a real financial assessment of the hard and responsible work involved.
The profession of nursing is one of the noblest professions, in order to win the trust of the patient, it must respect the principle of confidentiality and respect the dignity and right of the person.
The requirements for this profession are serious and the selection of personnel must be thorough and responsible, because in their hands we entrust life and health - our own and those of our loved ones.
I take the liberty of making an appeal to the community: Respect the people in white! They are your hope for life, support and support! Dr Temenuzka Mateva
Dr. Aidan Jiniev - general practitioner
I was raised in a family of medical professionals, with a love for professions that help health and life. I am always proud to announce that my mother is a midwife. A profession that is linked to women for life - in sickness and in health. A profession that gives life, that protects life. I am happy to share my opinion about the significant contribution and role of the nurse and midwife in the daily professional activity of my team. These professions are a vocation, but associated with continuous upgrading of knowledge and skills. They are a collection of unique human virtues such as patience, responsiveness, empathy, charity and kindness. The professions of nurses and midwives also require emergency intervention in extreme situations, with knowledge and competences to quickly respond to human needs. As an example, I can present a situation during the difficult and cold winter of 2018. Due to heavy snowfall, the area was isolated, there was no access to specialized hospitals. The midwives from the medical team in the city of Glodjevo, showing high professionalism, successfully gave birth to a woman in outpatient conditions. Under the guidance of my mother, the young midwives who graduated from the Midwifery specialty at the University of Ruse "Angel Kanchev", Department of Health Care, conducted births in an atypical setting. Thanks to the high professionalism of health care specialists, mother and child were fine. This is just one of the interesting cases for which the workers at the outpatient clinic were awarded a plaque by the Municipality of Vetovo. In dealing with the three waves of COVID-19, the nurses and midwives on my team are also contributing. The good organization of work, contacts with patients, organizing the necessary care are part of the professional activities that they perform with the necessary knowledge, skills and desire.
