In order to ensure that nurses benefit from sustained educational sessions, the Guyana Nurses Association (GNA) has been facilitating a Continuing Nurses Education (CNE) Programme. As lead trainer of the initiative, former Chief Nursing Officer, Grace Bond, said that this programme is especially important those practicing nurses who are required to be registered.As part of the proposed Nurses Practitioners Bill, which has been introduced in the Parliament by Minister of Health,NHL Jerseys From China, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, it is required that nurses,Jerseys Wholesale, like other health professionals, undertake a continuing nursing education programme as part of the annual licensing renewal process.The Minister has emphasised that continuing education must become an imperative and not simply an option. “It must be an absolute requirement for continued registration of nurses. Health and Medicine are changing every day new techniques and new approaches are available on an almost daily basis.We cannot have an end of education after graduation. Every other professional has adopted the continuing education model for licensing, so should the nurses,NFL Jerseys China,” the Minister noted.According to Mrs Bond,Wholesale Jerseys, the GNA has been hosting CNE sessions at the GNA Alexander and Charlotte Streets Hall,NFL Jerseys Supply, every fourth Wednesday of each month for professional nurses and nursing assistants.However, she noted that Patient Care Assistants are not turned away although, unlike the other professionals, they will not be afforded documented recognition for their participation. “We are doing this so when the time comes for them to be registered they can show that they have attended sessions…We wouldn’t bar anybody from coming but only the nurses will receive the participation forms that we give out,” Bond asserted.The CNE sessions, she revealed, commenced in 2009. The first session for this year focussed on HIV related stigma and discrimination and was facilitated by Ms Melanie Thomas, Programme Officer at UNAIDS Georgetown Secretariat.It was highlighted in the GNA’s newsletter that “the session was very successful, interactive and enlightening, allowing participants to clarify their own prejudices and values on issues relating to HIV.” More than 20 nurses had participated in that session. Other sessions are planned for this year which will focus on ethical issues in nursing, maternal health/obstetric care and follow up sessions on HIV related stigma and discrimination.The GNA, according to Bond, continues to receive funding from USAID for support and work in the area of HIV. Meanwhile,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the GNA has embarked on a Leadership for Change programme which Bond revealed is an action-learning programme to develop nurses as effective leaders and managers in a constantly changing health environment.The programme she said commenced last month and sessions are held on Mondays and Tuesday at the Association’s Hall. However she noted that the training in this instance is set to be done in phases.In addition to Bond, these sessions will be facilitated by Joan Stewart, Debra George, Gillian Butts-Garnett, Mandy La Fleur and Karen Roberts.