Nahrida Nazir Band
Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
Title: Health care transformation and advanced nursing practice in Qatar
Biography:
Nahrida Nazir Band is an Advanced Clinical Nurse Specialist (ACNS) at National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), working with Hamad Medical Corporation since 2006 in different nursing and administrative roles. She holds a master’s degree in advanced nursing Practice from University of Calgary. She has served as Chairperson of Professional Practice group of ACNSs at NCCCR. Her research interest mainly focus on outcomes of Clinical Nurse specialist Role, Exploration of advance nursing roles, Health and Wellness of breast cancer patients, risk factors that contributes to breast cancer and provision of optimum support to breast cancer patients after their diagnosis.
Abstract:
Description of this paper: The National Cancer Strategy 2011 2016 (NCS) launched under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, has been a driver for significant improvements in cancer services in Qatar. The State of Qatar has undertaken initiatives to advance the nursing profession. One of these initiatives was the introduction of a new nursing career framework in one of the major governmental hospital in Qatar. One of the major changes with this new nursing career framework was the introduction of advanced practice nursing roles. The Clinical nurse specialist’s role was implemented in Qatar in 2011 in a governmental cancer care center, with recruitment of six well experienced CNSs from the United Kingdom (UK). In addition, the University of Calgary in Qatar initiated a master’s in nursing degree (MN) in 2013. The 24 students enrolled in this program, were prepared to enact a CNS role in oncology. The UK trained CNSs in the cancer care center prepare these MN students for their future practice in clinical settings.
Purpose: This paper will talk about the emergence of Clinical Nurse Specialist role in Qatar and the health care transformation brought to health care system through the introduction of clinical nurse specialist’s role in Qatar. In addition, the challenges faced by this group of nurses will be discussed. Evidence based recommendations for these issues faced by CNSs from comprehensive literature review will be presented.