Upgrade to keep up with tech advancement, nurses told

KUCHING: Nurses in Sarawak have been urged to further their education so that they can be experts in their profession.

In making the call, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said nurses should take up advanced diploma in nursing, master’s degree and even Doctor of Philosophy to continue to improve their knowledge.

According to him, mastering such knowledge is important as in the next 10 years, the medical industry will revolutionise rapidly where medical experts will be able to treat various types of diseases.

“There are diseases that we have never had the chance to cure but can now be cured. And why? Because of artificial intelligence (AI) and genetics. Precision medicine is coming.

“So even we in the jungle of Borneo have to keep up with this,” said Dr Sim, who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister.

He was speaking when gracing the 2024 Nursing Profession Development Seminar, held at Borneo Cultures Museum here yesterday in conjunction with International Nurses Day.

Adding on, Dr Sim said nurses can leverage on their newlyacquired knowledge to elevate the profession in Sarawak to a higher level.

Some 200 nurses from hospitals and clinics across the state participated in the seminar.

Among those attendance were Sarawak Health Department deputy director of public health Dr Rohani Mat Bah and Opar assemblyman Billy Sujang.

International Nurses Day is observed around the world on May 12 each year to celebrate the contributions of nurses to society. The date was chosen to mark the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Our Nurses, Our Future’.