Practicing nurses and faculty from Wisconsin University, USA joined their counterparts from Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai and other nursing fraternity in India at the 13th International Nurses Conference held in the city on January 4 to evolve new dynamics to meet stringent health care needs around the world.

Inaugurating the conference, Dr. J. Balachander, HoD of cardiology department and Medical Superintendent at JIPMER, Puducherry, said Wisconsin University, a pioneer innovator in cardiology care, is ideally suited to join India’s efforts for building competency based nursing care.

He said healthcare delivery today is more and more dependent on nurses who spend more time and effort and remain close to patients.  Patient safety and treatment outcome depend largely on them. This, therefore, should be reflected in nursing education which is the current focus of the Union government.

Simulators can play a big role in handling complicated situations and combined with clinical experience can make them professionals. Learning Management Systems that are now freely available on the internet can put the students ahead of their teachers. Nurses should be well trained in disaster mitigation as well, he added.

Dr. Rachelle Shelly Lancaster, Associate Professor, College of Nursing, Wisconsin University said nursing education has turned really global and their annual attachment with Sri Ramachandra University and Hospitals has widened their experiences.

Dr. P.V. Vijayaraghavan, Dean Education, Sri Ramachandra University called for a paradigm shift in nursing education with greater clinical experience relating directly to patients’ expectations, satisfaction and treatment success.