Nurses as advocates for improved healthcare
In time for National Nursing Week, Cathy Harley, RN affirms the crucial role of nurses in healthcare and society (410 words, 3 minutes)
NPC Healthbiz Weekly is presented to you with support from Impres, Canada’s Next Generation Commercial Partner
“With nursing shortages top of mind and in focus across the country, it’s really important to recognize nurses for the value they are bringing to the healthcare system,” said Cathy Harley, CEO of Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC), a registered charity representing over 700 Canadian nurses.
Speaking on the NPC podcast of the National Pharmaceutical Congress, Harley (photo below) attested to the critical advocacy role of NSWOCC—and nurses themselves—in making healthcare more inclusive and connected.
“Beyond traditional roles of working in hospitals or the community,” Harley said, “people need to realize that nurses are advocates.” She said nurses fulfil an essential role in improving health equity, especially by “advocating for health promotion, educating the public and patients on preventing injury and illnesses, and participating in rehabilitation and providing care and support.”
“Nurses play a vital role in uncovering and addressing social determinants of health,” Harley said, “because health is more than just healthcare.”
She explained that nurses could “bring a health lens to public policy and decision-making” across all sectors by understanding upstream determinants of health. They can also “be catalysts for healthier lifestyles by encouraging and teaching patients to receive preventative services,” easing the load on the healthcare system and pre-empting critical illness.
Harley also said that nurses’ in-depth understanding of “patient needs and the intricacies of the healthcare system” make them uniquely well-equipped to collaborate with or work for Pharma and other healthcare businesses.
NSWOCC operates the Wound, Ostomy and Continence (WOC) Institute, a non-profit educational institution. Through this and other initiatives, Harley said the association works to “give leadership and set high standards for the practice in education, research, and administration to achieve quality and cost-effective nursing care.”
“We’re all about creating this national network of specialized nurses,” Harley said, “and [NSWOCC] unifies our members nationally and provides a forum where they can support each other and speak with one loud, powerful voice.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, “we’ve already seen change in [the healthcare] sector,” Harley said. “When we look at the government, the health systems, the payers, the pharmacies, and the non-profits, we see a coming together, coalitions being built. It’s no longer feasible to work in silos.”
“We have to come together. We have to put our heads around health care system problems and come up with solutions that will better meet the needs of this changing environment,” she said. “We’re seeing more and more possibilities in the life sciences sector.”
THIS WEEK 05/10/22
This year’s annual National Nursing Week celebrations occur Monday, May 9th, to Sunday, May 15th. This year's theme is #WeAnswerTheCall and it was developed by the Canadian Nurses Association (CAN) to highlight the multiple roles nurses play in a patient's healthcare journey.
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Canada announced that Health Canada has approved CABOMETYX (cabozantinib) for the treatment of adult patients diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) that has progressed following prior VEGFR-targeted therapy and who are radioactive iodine-refractory (RAI-R) or ineligible.
Florham Park, NJ-based Phathom Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA has approved Voquezna Triple Pak (vonoprazan tablets, amoxicillin capsules and clarithromycin tablets) and Voquezna Dual Pak (vonoprazan tablets and amoxicillin capsules), for the treatment of infections caused by Helicobacter pylori in adults.
Ilya Pharma AB, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, announced that the U.S. FDA cleared an Investigational New Drug Application for its lead candidate ILP100-Topical, an immunotherapy for treating surgical wounds in adult patients with prediabetes, diabetes and obesity. Additionally, Ilya Pharma AB is accelerating preparations for a significant adaptive Phase 2 study, designed as a pivotal trial.
New clinical biomarker data released by Oncolytics Biotech Inc. and SOLTI-Innovative Cancer Research demonstrates pelareorep's immunotherapeutic effects, synergy with checkpoint inhibition and potential to improve the outlook for patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer.
LISTEN NOW
In Season Seven of the NPC Podcast, Joan Chypyha, Founder and CEO of Alto Pharmaceuticals, talks about her career journey in pharma, the agility of a small pharma company and life lessons from mentors. Hear her in conversation with podcast co-hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain.
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002 to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our vocation and inspire others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 18 years. In the selection committee’s view, they stand for a representative cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge one past Hall of Fame Honouree each week.
2013 Inductee
C. Norman Cook
Toronto
Editor’s Note: Norman is currently Senior Account Manager at EnsembleIQ
Working to be a force for not only social and economic progress for a community half a world away but also to support the living land around and within that community, norman cook, Senior Account Manager at Rogers Publishing, is carrying on a dream of his father’s: Lewa Canada, the Canadian arm of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. Cook is on Lewa Canada's advisory board.
The Lewa non-profit Wildlife Conservancy was established in 1995 and encompasses a protected area of more than 50,000 acres in Kenya, Cook says. Since then, their efforts have included the distinction of bringing the rare black rhinoceros back from the edge of extinction.
“However, the scope of Lewa goes far beyond protecting endangered
wildlife. Lewa is also strongly involved with helping the local communities of people,” says Cook. “The organization helps to finance and plan education for the people, healthcare, and development of water projects that ensure clean, safe water for the people. Lewa is dedicated to the idea that nature's needs and people's needs co-exist and benefit each other.”
His father, John A. Cook, laid the groundwork for what would become Lewa Canada before he passed away in 2003. The project continued and was established as a registered charity in Apr. 2005. Since then, Lewa Canada has raised more than US$2.6 million in support of the conservancy. That includes US$1.26 million for Lewa’s conservation and wildlife protection initiatives, more than US$462,000 for the Lewa Education Program, and more than US$525,000 for community development.
“It is really about helping the people help themselves,” says Cook. “Naturally, education is a key way of doing that, and helping people with healthcare issues, including vaccinations, clean water supplies, contraception awareness.” Lewa provides more than 700 annual bursaries to students in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, says Cook. The charity also provides the Women’s Micro-Credit Program, to help women improve their often challenging circumstances and to enhance their abilities to move their communities forward.
And Cook is happy to sweat for Lewa Canada. In 2005 he ran the half-marathon course of the annual Safaricom Marathon through the conservancy. Running a world-class course through the breath-stealing Kenyan highlands alongside former Olympians and other runners from around the world, he and his sister earned approximately $20,000 in pledges for the charity.
“It is not the easiest economy to raise funds in right now, but Lewa Canada has certainly had some very good successes,” says Cook.
NEXT WEEK
In the 05/17 edition of the NPC Healthbiz Weekly, Sandra Heller, General Manager of Seagen Canada, talks about taking on the role of GM at the beginning of a pandemic. It’s easy to get your no-charge subscription and have the issue sent to your phone or inbox each Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. sharp.
Stay safe, stay sure, and stay on your game. We’ll see you again next week.