PROFESSIONAL BODIES

PRESENTED BY MRS . R.
BITONI 2015
 BROAD OBJECTIVE
• By the end of the lesson you should
acquire knowledge on professional bodies
 Learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson you should be able to;
• Define the following terms;
 Profession
Association
Council
 Cont’d
• describe characteristics of a profession
• describe dimensions of nursing functions
• describe professional bodies
 Definition of terms
• A profession is a vocation founded upon
specialized educational training
(http://en.wikpedia.organ/wik/prof).
 Cont’d
• Is a calling or vocation requiring
specialized knowledge, method and skills
as well as preparation, in an institution of
higher learning(nurse’s dictionary).
 Cont’d
• Association-A group of people joined
together with same purpose eg NONM,
AMAMI
• Council-Is an organization body that sets
standards, monitors activities and conduct
of its members eg NMCM, MCM
 Characteristics of a profession
• Professional bodies- professions are
regulated by professional bodies.
• These professional bodies have power to
control its members
• Education- Nursing requires that its
members possess a significant amount of
education(on going research)
 Cont’d
• Autonomy- nurses are independent and
self governed in decision making and
practice
• Code of ethics- Nursing has code of
ethics which defines the principles by
which nurses function.
• Principles or standards that govern
conduct related to professional behaviour
 Cont’d
• Theory- nursing has emerged as a
profession; nursing knowledge has been
developed through nursing theories.
• Theories provide frame works for nursing
education and practice
 Cont’d
• Service- nursing has always been a
service profession(rendering nursing care)
 Dimensions of nursing
functions
• Dependent nursing functions- activities
that require prescription from other health
care members such as doctors or
clinicians e.g prescribing medications
• Independent functions- Activities done
by the nurse without help, opinion or
advice from other health member’s e.g
bed bath, vital sign check
 Cont’d
• Interdependent nursing functions-
those nursing activities carried out in
conjunction with other health care team
members such as radiographers,
dieticians e.t.c
 Nurses and Midwives council
of Malawi(NMCM
• A non profit making regulatory government
body established in 1966 through the
parliament
• It is mandated by nurses and midwives
council Act,Cap,36:02 of malawi Laws;
To regulate the education, training and
practice of nursing and midwifery services
To protect the public from unsafe practices
 Cont’d
Mission statement
• Nurses and midwives council of Malawi
exists to regulate nursing and midwifery
education, training and practice in order to
protect the public.
 Cont’d
Specific objectives for council
• Enhancing quality nursing and midwifery
education
• Promotes safe practice of nurses and
midwives according to the standards
• Promotes evidenced based quality nursing
and midwifery care
 Cont’d
Functions Of NMCM
• Promotion and improvement of health in
Malawi
• Controls and exercise authority in respect
to all matters affecting education, training,
practice of persons in and the
performance of practices pursued by
nurse midwives technicians
 Cont’d
• It exercises disciplinary control over
professional conduct of all persons
registered under this act and practicing in
Malawi
 Cont’d
POWERS OF COUNIL
• Register and enroll nurses and midwives
• Keep the register roll of all nurses and
midwives in Malawi
• Remove from or restore any nurse and
midwife name from the register
 Cont’d
• Appoint examiners and moderators to set
professional licensing examinations
• Administer licensing examinations
• Grant certificates and licenses to practice
• Approve nursing and midwifery colleges.
• Inspect and withdraw or suspend any
nursing college that is not complying with
council requirements
 Cont’d
• Issue or renew license to carry on
business of a nursing agency or private
nursing and midwifery practice
• Disciplinary control over the professional
conduct of all persons registered under the
Nurses Act
 Cont’d
• Advise minister on any matters within the
scope of the Act
• Promote standards of education and
practice
• Perform such other functions as may be
prescribed or assigned to council
 Cont’d
Composition of council
• Comprises of 15 members
• Secretary for health
• Director of nursing services(MOH)
• Principal KCN
• Appointed member from the public
• Five registered nurse/midwives
 Cont’d
• One NMT
• Registrar pharmacy and poisons board
• Solicitor General
• Executive Director(CHAM)
• Medical council representative
 Cont’d
DEPARTMENTS
• Registrar and chief executive officer-
current Registrar is……….
• Monitoring, evaluation and
investigation( Research)
• Education and training
• Examination and Registration(CPD)
• Administration and Finance
 Cont’d
COMMITTEES
6 standing committees
• Executive – consist of chairpersons for all
committees
• Investigation-investigate any matter
delegated to it by the council i.e convicted
an offence, alleged negligence
 Cont’d
• Disciplinary- inquiry into allegations
referred to it by investigation committee
• Professional practice-advises the council
on all matters relating to professional
practice
• Monitoring of set standards-conducts
monitoring and evaluation activities of
health facilities
 Cont’d
• Finance and appointments- oversees
management of finances of the council
• Education and examination- prescribes
educational standards
 Cont’d
Membership fees;
• RNM Diploma-k5,500 annually
• RNM Degree-k7,000
• Specialty-k2,000
• NMT-k5,000
• Student indexing fees-k7000(whole
training)
 Cont’d
Other important documents;
• Professional file
• Student record book
• Scope of practice
 Cont’d
Role of NMCM
• To protect the public by;
- Prescribing standards of education and
training
- Evaluate safety and competence to
practice of would be practitioners of
nursing and midwifery
 Cont’d
-Scrutinizing and validating all qualifications
of all nurse midwives trained outside
Malawi Who intend to practice nursing /
midwifery in Malawi,
-Keeping register and publishing the register
of all dully qualified nurse / midwives in
Malawi
 Cont’d
-Granting licenses to practice or carry out
private practice only to those deemed
sufficiently qualified and competent to
safely provide nursing and midwifery
services to the public
 NATIONAL ORGANISATION
OF NURSES AND MIDWIVES
OF MALAWI(NONM)
• It was formerly known as National
Association of Nurses of Malawi.
• It was founded in 1979 by Miss Lucy
Kadzamira former chief nursing officer
• Became a member of intenational council
of Nurses in 1981.
• Has a constitution amended in 2006
 Cont’d
Mission statement
• To promote and maintain member’s
professional interest and socioeconomic
welfare to effectively contribute to quality
health care services rendered to the
nation.
 Cont’d
Specific objectives
• To promote and maintain highest possible
standards of nursing and midwifery
services for the well-being of the population
To provide advice or assistance to
victimized members
Serve as the authorities voice for nurses/
midwives in Malawi
 Cont’d
Functions of NONM
• Provide professional advice to the
government and stake holders on both
policy and non policy matters affecting
nursing/ midwifery and the public
• Make a representation on behalf of
nurses/ midwives to the employer and
other stake holders with regard to
promotion of working conditions
 Cont’d
• Advocate for continuing education
 Cont’d
Composition
• Executive Director
• National Executive committee
a.President
b.1st Vice president
c.2nd Vice
d.Treasurer
 Cont’d
e. Vice treasurer
f. 5 zone chairpersons
g. The president of the student chapter
 Cont’d
Membership
• All nurses and midwives who registered
with nurses and midwives council of
Malawi
• Members who have retired due to medical
or health grounds
 Cont’d
• Members who have reached their
retirement age and are retired from
employment
• Students nurses and midwives undergoing
training in nursing and midwifery colleges
that are indexed by Nurses and Midwives
Council of Malawi.
 Cont’d
• Membership fee- RNM(k5,000)
• NMT- k1000
• Students-k500
• Constitution-k500
 ASSOCIATION OF MALAWI
MIDWIVES ( AMAMI)
• An organization of Malawi midwives
available for the benefit of childbearing
women, newborns and their families
• Was established to advance the interest
and needs of midwives with the aim of
improving the midwifery standards and
midwifery care
 Cont’d
• It was introduced as a result of an
international conference of midwives(ICM)
• In 1997, the association was admitted to
the ICM.
• In 1998 AMAMI was granted membership
to ICM
• AMAMI was launched in the year 2000 as
an association
 Cont’d
AIM
• To advance the interests and needs of
midwives and midwifery profession with
the aim of improving the standards of
midwifery care.
 Cont’d
Specific objectives for AMAMI
• To advance the provision of midwifery care
• To develop the role of the midwives as a
professional practitioner in his / her own
right
• To advise the MOH and other health related
institutions on midwifery issues when
required
 Cont’d
• To safeguard the interests of the midwife
in relation to work environment and
professional practice
• Lobbying and receiving various equipment
and supplies
• Lobbying for higher salaries for midwives
 Cont’d
PHILOSOPHY OF AMAMI
• Child bearing women are unique
biophysical, psychosocial and spiritual
human beings whose rights, needs and
dignity deserve special recognition in both
the community and the health care setting
• They are capable of making their own
reproductive health decisions given
necessary opportunities.
 Cont’d
• Newborn babies are individuals with
special needs and form part of unique triad
with her / his parents within the supportive
family system.
• Spouses and communities have major role
in caring for and supporting women during
pregnancy, labour and postpartum
 Cont’d
Membership
Midwifery Techincian-
Registered midwives-
Students midwives-
 INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL
OF NURSES
• Founded in 20th Century
• Involves nurses of the world
• Deals with health concerns in nursing
profession
• Deals with health promotion
 cont’d
Mission
• To represent nursing world-wide,
advancing the profession and influencing
health policy
Purpose
• Is to represent nurses world wide and to
be voice of nurses internationally.
 Cont’d
Specific Objectives
• To influence nursing, health and social
policy, professional and socio economic
standards of nursing and the competence
of nurses.
• To assist national nurses
organizations(NONM)/National nurses
Associations(NNAs) to improve the
nursing standards
 Cont’d
• To promote the development of strong
NONM/NNAs
• To represent nurses and nursing
internationally
• To establish, receive and manage funds
which contribute to the advancement of
nursing and ICN
 Cont’d
Functions
• Deals with illness and restoration of health
and alleviation of suffering
• Provides health services to individuals,
families, communities and coordinate their
services with those of related groups
 Cont’d
• Respects life, dignity and right of human
being regardless of social status
Membership
• Through NONM- any member of this
organization is a member of ICN.
 INTERNATIONAL
CONFERATION OF
MIDWIVES(ICM)
• This is a federation of associations of
midwives
 Cont’d
Mission
• To advance education in midwifery and
spread knowledge of the art and science
of midwifery with the aim of improving the
standards of care provided to mothers and
babies, families throughout the countries
of the world.
 Cont’d
Specific objectives
• To improve the standard of care provided
to women and babies throughout the world
• Support and advise, when required,
associations of midwives in liaison with
their government
• Advance the provision of midwifery care
 Cont’d
• Develop the role of the midwife as a
professional practitioner
• Represent midwifery to international
Bodies, agencies in meeting, consultations
and in direct relationship with the heads or
governing bodies of such organizations
 Cont’d
• Advance globally the potential of the
midwife and the value of midwifery in
achieving a reduction in the rates of
maternal and neonatal mortality and
morbidity.
 Cont’d
Functions
• Publish journals, pamphlets, reports of
conferences, seminars, discussions, visits
and other papers relevant to the aims of
the confederation.
 Cont’d
• Arrange study groups, meeting, seminars
and conference which may be on local,
regional or world-wide basis and
encourage the international exchange of
midwifery research, educational curricula
and practice
• Assist in the organization of international
visits
 Cont’d
• Hold international congresses of midwives
triennially or at such other times as the
council shall determine
Members
• Associations of midwives, including
students midwives in their membership
• Where midwives, nurses and other health
professions are represented by asingle
association
EAST, CENTRAL, SOUTHERN
AFRICA COLLEGE OF
NURSING
• A professional body for nurses and
midwives in east, central and southern
Africa is made up 14 countries;
Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mauritius, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia,
Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania,
swaziland, seychelles and Zimbabwe.
 Cont’d
• There is no physical structure for
ECSACON but a coordinating agency
anchored in nursing departments of
common wealth regional secretariat
• The secretariat is based in Arusha,
Tanzania
• It forms part of nursing / midwifery and
allied department
 Cont’d
Goal
• To improve quality of health of
communities in Eastern, Central and
Southern Africa.
 Cont’d
MISSION STATEMENT
• It is committed to promote the professional
excellence in delivering of health services
through programmes aimed at
strengthening nursing and midwifery
education, practice, research,
management and leadership.
 Cont’d
• It is also committed to regional and
international collaboration and networking
 Cont’d
Specific objectives
• Promoting the development of skills in
nursing and midwifery practitioners
• Facilitating meaningful utilization of
professional information within ECSACON
region
 Cont’d
• Promote advocacy and support policies for
nursing and midwifery practice
• Promoting health education in
communities
 Cont’d
Other professional bodies
• Medical Council of Malawi
• Medical Association Of Malawi
• Youth Council of Malawi
• Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Malawi
 References
• Professional file