Quality Nursing Education Towards Patient Safety

Maria Cecilia G. Gatchalian, RN

The Association of Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines, INC (ANSAP), held its mid-year convention last August 15, 2008 with the theme: “Discovering Competitive Paradigms.” ORNAP was among the various health care organizations which attended this historic event. ORNAP officers who attended the said event were Ms. Marilyn Aro, Ms. Cecilia Amontos, Ms. Flor Burgos, Ms. Jeovie Joya,  Ms. Cecilia Gatchalian and Mr. Jonah Arguelles.
The topics focused mainly on improving safety and quality of patient care not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment, but also in the community-based care. The most alarming issue that ANSAP wants to address is the remarkable decline in the passing percentage of graduates in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), not only in the Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam, but also in the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and the National Council on Licensure Exam (NCLEX).
Certainly, nursing educators play a vital role in improving the quality of education to assure that graduates are highly competent and prepared to lead effectively at every level of nursing practice and administration. Most importantly, nursing educators develop analytical and critical thinking skills that are essential in the nurse’s ability to identify potential and current problems or at risks that impact upon patient safety.
During the open forum, there were diverse reactions given by the participants and the board members especially on the issue of marked decline of quality nursing education.
It is certainly a great challenge for the new members of the ANSAP to vie for excellence in producing competent nursing professionals.