With her PhD in nursing informatics and a wealth of experience in developing nursing education curriculum and programmes in South Asia and East Africa, Dr Rafat Jan is poised to make a difference during her tenure as president at the Pakistan Nursing Council.
“This is the first time that a nurse-midwife has been elected as the president. This is a huge transition for the Council, and I am certain for the nursing community as well,” Dr Jan stated following her election on October 14, 2015 – a development that has been hailed by the Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar in a public statement.
Associated with the Aga Khan University since 1983 both as a student and academician – most recently as the director of the first midwifery programme at AKU’s School of Nursing and Midwifery – Dr Jan is cognisant of the challenges ahead: “The PNC has long suffered from a lack of visibility of leaders in the profession especially in clinical settings, a lack of cohesion and collaborative work, and a slow to evolve education system. We need to change that to transform the profession.”
Established in 1948, the PNC is a statutory body that sets the governance and regulatory frameworks for nurses, midwives, lady health workers, licensed practical nurses and nursing auxiliaries in the country. It also oversees the functioning of four provincial nursing boards. As of 2013, there are 35 recognised institutes that offer bachelor’s programmes and over 120 institutes that can offer PNS-recognised short diplomas and certification programmes.
Having worked on establishing, refining and retuning academic programmes at the Aga Khan University in South Asia, East Africa and Central Asia, Dr Jan intends to draw on her professional experiences.
“We have to learn from those ahead of us,” Dr Jan says when asked about the changes she hopes to bring about during her tenure. “There has to be synchronisation between the education that is dispensed and the regulations governing professionals. We need to strengthen our governance processes and institutions, introduce quality specialty programmes, and collaborate with regional bodies.”
But the most influential interaction has been her alma mater AKU from where she obtained her undergraduate degree. She would later go on to acquire her master’s in nursing from University of South Carolina and PhD from the University of Iowa.
“AKU instilled in me my work and life ethics, and that change is a continuous and a long process. As president, I intend to plant a seed and let good practices flourish. I do expect days that bring despondency, but I also believe that one should never give up.”
As part of the leadership change, Dr Jan is joined by Ms Shahnaz Surraiya, head of the College of Nursing at Nishtar Medical College and Hospital, Multan, who has been elected as vice-president. Ms Surraiya holds a master’s in nursing from AKU and a one-year diploma from the Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
“As vice president of PNC, I will be providing input based on my experiences both in Pakistan and abroad,” Ms Surraiya said.
“There is a lot to be done in terms of education and research. But education is the first step. You raise the standard of education, you raise the standard of practice,” she concluded.
