WHO supports training for nurses in eastern Ukraine

30 nurses from emergency departments of hospitals and primary health care units in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts took part in the nursing emergency medicine services course conducted in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 7–9 July 2015. The aim of the workshop was to introduce the various roles and assess performance while dealing with the management of trauma care and mass events. It was organized by the WHO Country Office in Ukraine with the support of the Israeli Embassy in Kyiv.

"WHO supports Ukraine in increasing its capacity for preparedness for and response to disasters and mass casualty events," said Dr Dorit Nitzan, WHO Representative to Ukraine. "Emergency nurses have an important role in responding to both routine trauma and mass trauma events, such as war. This course provided them with the necessary knowledge for decision-making in times of disaster and emergency."

The course was designed as an interactive workshop with combined lectures, simulation exercises and tabletop drills. Its structure allows the participants to gain knowledge and skills, which are necessary in order to facilitate advanced management in the trauma system and the care of the trauma patients in routine and other emergencies.

"The knowledge gained from this workshop will be extremely valuable in my daily job as conflict continues in Ukraine. For example, I improved my skills in treating injured patients on the ground before transport to the hospital and grasped the importance of a team approach in terms of mass events management," said Glib Novytskyi, medical assistant from the Severodonetsk mobile unit, eastern Ukraine.

The WHO Country Office in Ukraine also supports the initiative of increasing the profile of nursing staff as an important part of health system reform.