• 5/28/2017
    Doha, 27 May, 2017 The Nursing Department at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), a member of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), recently held an educational event for staff aimed at promoting knowledge sharing among nurses to improve their professional skills and ultimately enhance the quality of care delivered to patients.

    The educational event held at HMC’s Hajar Auditorium at the Medical Education Center on 22 May highlighted the importance of palliative care and shed light on the best nursing practices in the care of cancer patients.

    Held under the theme “Journey to Palliative Care,” the event showcased a variety of insightful presentations by nurses and physicians featuring prominent palliative care topics, including the latest management techniques and the challenges faced by nurses in their role of caring for patients with cancer.

    Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for patients as they approach the end of their life. It takes a holistic approach to addressing the full spectrum of a patient’s needs, from the physical and emotional to the spiritual and social. Thus the professional development event involved a large multi-disciplinary team among which the nurse and clinical nurse specialist roles are key.

    Over 300 nurses gathered to share the latest medical knowledge, promote up-to-date, evidence-based nursing practice, and endorse high-quality patient care aimed at enhancing patient outcomes.

    The half-day event served as a valuable teaching intervention and a platform to provide nurses with the opportunity to share clinical expertise and best nursing practice in a setting that recognizes their valuable and unique contributions to the nursing profession.

    Ms. Catherine Gillespie, Executive Director of Nursing at NCCCR, commented on the significance of the event. She said: “We are firm believers in the potential of nursing and in the value of the clinical nurse specialist role within the multi-disciplinary care team in improving patient outcomes.

    This is particularly evident in the specialist area of palliative care and it is our wish to continue to support the development of nurses through an ongoing learning process.” She added: “We are confident that NCCCR as a specialized institute can continue to support the development of our clinical teams to ensure we have highly qualified staff who help improve the lives of their patients on a day-to-day basis.”

    Mr. Michel Harkous, Director of Nursing Education at NCCCR, said: “This is the third time we have organized a Nursing Grand Round at NCCCR. This educational event is a great opportunity for our nurses to exchange expertise, improve their skills, and understand the importance of providing effective nursing care. Our aim is to highlight the challenges nurses face in providing palliative care, to empower our clinical nurse specialists and to give them a platform to expand their knowledge and share their experiences with their colleagues across HMC as well as those from other healthcare organizations in Qatar.”

    As the main healthcare provider in Qatar, HMC is committed to providing the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to patients. This continuum of educational initiatives is a testament to this commitment.