On 12 May, The Union celebrates the vital role nurses play in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) and lung disease, which is often undervalued.
International Nurses Day 2024 aims to reshape perceptions of nursing, demonstrating how strategic investment in nursing can bring considerable economic and societal benefits.
The Union recognises the importance of the nursing profession in TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment management, and much more. Prof Guy Marks, President of The Union, says: “In order to support nurses to deliver the best possible care to their local communities in the most effective and safest way for them, The Union provides a variety of evidence-based resources and learning opportunities tailored to nurses.”
Current opportunities
- Today (Friday 10 May), The Union is participating in a ‘How can we best equip, engage and empower nurses to End TB?’ webinar, hosted by TBPPM.
- We offer nurses reduced rates to attend The Union World Conference on Lung Health
- The Union has a nurses and allied professionals membership group which represents nurses, health educators and other allied professionals dedicated to ending TB. The group is comprised of members from many disciplines who work across a spectrum of activities, services and organisations with expertise and interests relating to clinical care and public health management of TB and lung disease, tobacco control, training and education, health promotion, stigma reduction, disease prevention, civil society, research and ethics. A strength of the group and members is the diversity of knowledge, skills and expertise within their global community of practice. Anyone who registers as a Union member is welcome to join the group.
- The group produces a newsletter and the latest edition can be found here: https://documents.theunion.org/web-uploads/NAPS Newsletter Spring 2024.pdf.
Key resources
- The first edition of Basic occupational safety and health for respiratory diseases: A desk guide for health facilities outlines a comprehensive approach to respiratory health, which health facilities can adapt and implement in resource-limited settings.
- The fourth edition of Diagnosis and Management of Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents: A Desk Guide for Primary Health Care Workers supports healthcare workers, in primary and secondary care in high TB burden settings with limited resources, to decide when and how to start TB treatment in children and adolescents.
- The Diagnostic CXR Atlas for Tuberculosis in Children: A Guide to Chest X-ray Interpretation (the Atlas) has been extensively revised, with the aim of assisting non-specialist healthcare workers in high tuberculosis (TB)-burden settings to interpret chest x-rays (CXRs) from children investigated for TB.
- The Union provides educational support to develop clinical expertise, management skills and the ability to discover solutions through research and advocacy. Be sure to explore our Union Courses.