The symposium, which brought together experts in the field, addressed topics such as the role of nursing in sustainability and value-based healthcare, nurse empowerment and empowering leadership approaches, and the transformative power of care with empowered nurses.
The "Professional Empowerment in Nursing Symposium," held at the Dr. Ralph A. Defronzo Auditorium of Istanbul Atlas University's Vadi Campus, was a success with high participation. Bringing together academics, students, and industry representatives from the health sector, the symposium comprehensively addressed the fundamental role of the nursing profession in the healthcare system, evolving healthcare services, and the human-centered approach to care.
Prof. Dr. Ersoy Kocabıçak: “The nursing profession has never lost its fundamental and special status.”
In his opening speech at the symposium, Istanbul Atlas University Rector Prof. Dr. Ersoy Kocabıçak emphasized that nursing is one of the oldest and most indispensable professions in the healthcare system.
Stating that the healthcare system has developed with many new disciplines and professions in recent years, Rector Prof. Dr. Ersoy Kocabıçak noted that nursing has nevertheless maintained its fundamental place in healthcare services, saying, “The healthcare system has become an important structure with many stakeholders today. New disciplines and professions have been added to the healthcare system in recent years. However, the nursing profession has never lost and will never lose its most fundamental and special position.”
Stating that medicine and nursing are two fundamental professions that have walked hand in hand since the beginning of healthcare services, Prof. Dr. Kocabıçak expressed that working closely with nurses is a great honor for him as a physician.
"Artificial intelligence will never acquire the ability to empathize."
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Kocabıçak stated that concepts such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, and big data offer significant innovations in the field of health, but emphasized that human contact and empathy cannot be replaced by any technology in healthcare services.
Prof. Dr. Kocabıçak stated, “Artificial intelligence, the digital world, and digital health systems certainly bring innovation. But can they provide the power of touching a human being, of empathy? They cannot. Artificial intelligence will never acquire this ability to empathize.”
Highlighting the impact of morale and motivation on patient health, Prof. Dr. Kocabıçak said, “As a physician, I have always attached great importance to morale and motivation. Because we know that morale and motivation strengthen the immune system. In this sense, every profession that touches people, especially nursing, is very valuable.”
"Our 450-bed hospital is a significant opportunity for our students."
Professor Dr. Kocabıçak, describing health education as a "two-winged bird," stated that one side of this structure consists of education and research, while the other side involves clinical and practical applications. Emphasizing that Istanbul Atlas University possesses significant resources in this regard, Professor Dr. Kocabıçak said that the approximately 450-bed hospital offers a strong practical training area for students of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Prof. Dr. Kocabıçak stated, “I consider our university to be one of the fortunate universities in this respect. Having a hospital with approximately 450 beds is a unique opportunity for all our students in the Faculty of Health Sciences. We have one of the important areas where our students can carry out their practical training effectively.”
Prof. Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım: “Nursing has been given very important roles during the pandemic.”
Prof. Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım, President of the THD Istanbul Branch and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, gave information about the declarations published regarding the nursing profession and education in her opening speech, and evaluated the processes that the nursing profession and education have undergone in our country.
Professor Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım stated that in the past, nurses were expected to take on many responsibilities in achieving the goal of universal health, addressing health inequalities, emphasizing their roles in accessing the right to health, maintaining the quality of health services, and achieving health development goals. She added that the nursing profession came to the forefront during the pandemic. Yıldırım said, “Before the Covid pandemic, 2020 was declared the International Year of Nursing, but in the shadow of Covid, nursing was discussed differently. Within the roles of nursing, very important roles were assigned to nursing in ensuring resilience in healthcare. The motto was, 'Nurses are the force that ensures resilience in healthcare.'"
Prof. Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım stated that the importance of strengthening nursing was emphasized even after the pandemic, and that ICM has recommendations and reports on strategies that should be implemented to strengthen nursing, indicating that empowered nurses are needed to ensure high quality, sustainability, and resilience in healthcare services, and that these decisions are supported by the World Health Organization.
"Nurses are one of the key professional groups that directly impact the quality of healthcare services."
Yıldırım noted that sustainability and value-based service delivery in today's healthcare systems are directly related to the empowerment of healthcare professionals, stating, “In this context, nurses are one of the fundamental professional groups that play an active role in every stage of patient care, contribute to clinical decision-making processes, and directly affect the quality of healthcare services. Providing safe, effective, and accessible healthcare services is possible through the adoption of a patient safety culture, the widespread adoption of evidence-based practices, the strengthening of interdisciplinary teamwork, and the development of clinical decision-making skills. In this process, the knowledge, skills, and competencies possessed by nurses are among the most important factors determining the quality of healthcare services.”
"The importance of professional empowerment in nursing will be highlighted."
Prof. Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım added that the main purpose of the symposium was to draw attention to the importance of professional empowerment in nursing, to address the contributions of empowered nurses to the sustainability of the health system on a scientific basis, and to facilitate the sharing of current knowledge and practices in this field.
Prof. Dr. İkbal Çavdar: “Nurses are at the heart of the transformation in the healthcare system.”
In her opening speech, Prof. Dr. İkbal Çavdar, Head of the Nursing Department at the Faculty of Health Sciences, stated that the symposium was organized to evaluate the power, impact, and future of nursing, which plays a critical role in the transformation of field services. She said, “Today, health systems have ceased to be simply structures where only diseases are treated; they have become complex structures of sustainable, accessible, safe, and human-centered field services. Undoubtedly, nurses are at the center of this transformation.” Prof. Dr. İkbal Çavdar added that the symposium would address topics such as the role of nursing in sustainability and value-based health services, nurse empowerment and empowering leadership approaches, and the transformative power of care with empowered nurses.
Professor Dr. Salih Haluk Özsarı delivered a conference titled "Nursing in Sustainable and Value-Based Healthcare Services".
Following the opening speeches, Prof. Dr. Salih Haluk Özsarı, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, gave a lecture titled "Nursing in Sustainable and Value-Based Healthcare Services".
The symposium program included conferences, scientific sessions, and oral and poster presentations organized around the theme of professional empowerment. Participants had the opportunity to evaluate current approaches and share their scientific studies with expert speakers in their fields.
