Nursing Leader Praises "Outstanding" Dedication Of Nurses On Visit To Afghanistan - Royal College Of Nursing

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 18 Jan 2010 - 3:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today praised the work of nurses on the front line in Afghanistan, following his five day visit.

Dr Carter visited the field hospital in Camp Bastion, as well as the Aeromed facility at Camp Souter, which airlifts injured service personnel back to the UK. He spoke to the nurses and other reservists who run the hospitals about their experiences, and witnessed first hand the facilities for providing healthcare in battlefield conditions.

Speaking following his visit Dr Peter Carter said; "Until you are there, it is impossible to understand the astounding dedication, courage and professionalism of the nurses working in Afghanistan. While the health facilities are second to none, these can be very trying circumstances and staff are giving their all to see that injured service personnel receive the highest level of care. It is striking how completely integrated the reservists are with the regulars, and this is reflected in the enormous respect in which they are held.

"It was an honour to visit the field hospitals and to see for myself the high standards of care they deliver under difficult conditions. The work put in by nurses in the military is often overlooked, as is the long journey to recovery taken by their patients. The RCN will continue to fully support nurses working in Afghanistan and Iraq and the service personnel they are treating in anyway possible. The RCN commends employers who are prepared to release their employees to deploy in Afghanistan and Iraq".

Source
Royal College of Nursing (RCN)

• Additional
• References
• Citations