BY GEORGE NAVA TRUE II
JOHNSON & Johnson Philippines, (J & J) Inc. and the University of the Philippines-College of Nursing (UPCN) recently launched Nurse LEAD, a certificate course program that aims to strengthen Filipino nurses’ competencies to reduce the health worker coverage gap in the country.
“There is more to a nurse’s role than just providing direct care to patients. In situations where a doctor is unavailable, nurses step up to perform the roles of public health officers and lead healthcare operations to bring out the best outcome,” according to Professor Sheila R. Bonito, dean, UP College of Nursing.
Launched on International Nurses’ Day, the Nurse LEAD Program is supported by the J & J Foundation, led by UPCN in collaboration with the J & J Center for Health Worker Innovation. The 160-hour course will cater to practicing Filipino nurses in the local public health system.
The course consists of both online and face-to-face sessions, focusing on building capacities for delivering primary healthcare services, leadership and management skills, and fostering collaborative practice among relevant disciplines.
The online component of the course will cover 120 hours, run on a learning management platform hosted by UPCN, with four-hour study sessions for 20 days spread within 7-8 weeks. Meanwhile, the face-to-face component will cover 40 hours, with 5-day sessions at the UPCN facility and field visits in partner communities in Marikina and Manila City.
“With this program, we want to empower our country’s nurses so that they can comfortably take on leadership, management and supervisory roles within the health unit, implement health programs, and engage in community organizing activities that would help us move the Universal Healthcare model forward,” Bonito added.
J & J has supported the nursing profession for over 120 years. The J & J Center for Health Worker Innovation focuses on five areas, namely Training & Education, Leadership & Management, Connection & Integration, Respect & Recognition, and Well-being & Resilience for frontline health workers, who are at the heart of community-based primary health systems worldwide.
J & J Philippines, Inc. President and Managing Director Raghu Krishnan said that the company “recognizes that nurses are uniquely positioned to bring innovation, knowledge, and resourcefulness to improve patient outcomes. As one of the countries that contribute to the global workforce of nurses, we are excited to be launching this program with the UP College of Nursing. With our collective support for Filipino nurses, we believe that we can truly elevate and transform healthcare, as we work together to building a stronger health workforce.”
To know more about how J & J supports nurses worldwide, visit https://nursing.jnj.com/our-nursing-commitment.
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National Press Club and Philippine Dental Association awardee George N. True II has written two bestsellers based on his popular column which has been running for almost 40 years. For questions about health, email georgenavatrue@yahoo.com./PN
