On the occasion of the International Day of Nurses and Medical Technicians, a three-day conference was held in Neum organized by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska in cooperation with the Fami Foundation and the Strengthening Nursing Project (ProSeS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The conference was attended by around two hundred guests, nurses, and medical technicians from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives and assistants of the relevant health ministries, and numerous healthcare institution managers.
The conference commenced with musical performances by the Vocal Group of the Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar "Salutem," followed by speeches from dignitaries. The opening ceremony was addressed by the Minister of Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Nediljko Rimac, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska, Dr. Alen Šeranić, their assistants Dr. Goran Čerkez, Dr. Milan Latinović, and on behalf of the nurses, assistant Mirjana Janković.
Activities supported by the Fami Foundation, backed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), were presented at the conference. Among them, another in a series of manuals for nurses and medical technicians was promoted, focusing on Specific Operating Procedures in Healthcare. Numerous presentations and panel discussions featuring local and regional nurses and medical technicians were held, along with a workshop on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Representatives from the Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, including Prof. Dr. Vajdana Tomić, the dean, Doc. Dr. Ivona Ljevak, RN, senior assistant Tanja Tomić, MSc in nursing, and student Marijana Bartula-Ovčina, actively participated in the conference.
"It was an honor and a pleasure to actively participate in this esteemed gathering, to celebrate the International Day of Nurses and Medical Technicians, exchange experiences of best practices with colleagues from across Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. The focus was on the importance of standard operating procedures in healthcare and their implementation, strengthening the nursing profession through defined competencies, and education in terms of initiating specializations for nurses and medical technicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Assistant Professor Ljevak.
Valuable insights were shared by Monika Ažman, President of the Chamber of Nurses and Midwives of Slovenia, who presented the activities, significance, and role of the chamber as the overarching institution for nurses and medical technicians.
Given that nurses constitute about 60% of healthcare workers and are close to people who are most vulnerable to climate change, they also have enormous potential to create and disseminate messages about climate change. Therefore, at the end of the conference, nurses planted an olive tree sapling as a symbol of their commitment to raising awareness about climate change.
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