The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been actively engaged in the areas of healthcare and recognizing the importance and need of nursing area in healthcare domain, had organized the 2nd Edition of Nursing Conclave on ‘Industry Expectations in New Era: Investing in Nurses on Upskilling!’ on 7th June 2024 at Williamson Magor Hall, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Opening Session of the 2nd Edition of Nursing Conclave witnessed the esteemed presence of Mr. Abhijit Banerjee, Vice President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry & Managing Director, Linde India Limited; Dr. Siddhartha Neogi, Director of Health Services, Government of West Bengal; Ms. DoliBiswas, Member – Health Committee, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry & Chief Nursing Officer, Fortis Hospital Anandapur; Ms. AbantiGopan, Nursing Consultant, Principal Assessor (NABH), Visiting Faculty and Ms. Madhukari Ray, Nursing Director, Apollo Eastern Zone. Opening Session was followed by the Lamp Lighting by the Dignitaries.

In the Opening Session, Mr. Abhijit Banerjee, Vice President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Managing Director, Linde India Limited in his address said, “Nurses are the largest workforce in the healthcare system providing direct care to the patients, families, and communities. With a unique combination of skills, knowledge, and of course the dedication they have played an instrumental role in addressing the health inequities and improving the health and well-being for all. In the face of evolving healthcare technologies, shifting patient demographics, and advancing treatment modalities, the role of nurses continues to expand and diversify, which requires a commitment to ongoing professional development to stay ahead of the curve.Upskilling of Nurses aims to improve the quality and safety of healthcare services, enhance patient outcomes, reduce medical errors, and increase healthcare workforce competency and productivity. It can also enhance career prospects and job satisfaction.”

The 1st half of the Conclave covered Plenary Session I and Plenary Session II. 

Plenary Session I covered topics like, Upskilling Clinical Nurses and its impact on patient's care; Investing in Critical Care Nurses on Advance Monitoring Technology; Upskilling Nurses on Antimicrobial Stewardship; Nursing Education through innovative approaches; Importance of training of bed-side Caregivers to handle Hospital and Home Care including Family support by Dr. KausturiMondal, Principal, RTIICS College of Nursing; Ms. ArpitaMondal, Nursing Head, INK Hospital Kolkata; Dr. DebjyotiDutta, Consultant Multispecialty, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur; Ms. PuspaGhosh, Principal, Jagannath Gupta Institute of Nursing Science; Ms. MohuaMaity, Nursing Superintendent, Calcutta Heart Clinic & Hospital respectively. The Plenary Session I was chaired by Ms. ManashiBhaskar, Chief Nursing Officer, Peerless Hospital.

The Plenary Session II which was chaired by Ms. Shampa Gupta, Principal, Westbank College of Nursing, NH Howrah covered topics like, Investing in Nurses towards understanding the Impact of Errors on patient and organization; Impact of Nursing Sensitive QIs on Clinical Outcomes; Effective communication - Industry Expectations -Does the Nurses have a role to play for patient and their relatives by Ms. TinkuAdhikari, Nursing Superintendent Quality Control, Apollo Hospital Kolkata; Ms. MaumitaSaha, Quality Nurse, Fortis Hospital Anandapur Kolkata, Ms. Josnamol George, Assistant Nursing Superintendent, Nursing Quality, Education and Infection Control, Medica Group Hospitals respectively.

On the other hand the 2nd half of the Conclave was followed by a Panel Discussion and Work Stations - Upskilling on Advance Technologies in Patient's Recovery (Hands on Training).

Panel Discussion on “Does the Accreditation journey engaging Nurses more on Non-Value-Added Services?”  was moderated by Ms. Piyali Bose, Nursing Superintendent, Tata Medical Center. The panelists were, Ms. Saraswati Roy Sengupta, Chief Nursing Superintendent, The Mission Hospital; Dr.ParulSamadder, Director of Nursing Services, Ruby General Hospital; Ms. AloSengupta, Director of Nursing, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital Lt and Ms. Vijaya Lakshmi Achuthan Nair, Head of Nursing, The Calcutta Medical Research Institute.

All the sessions were followed by Q/A Session with the audience.

Work Stations on “Upskilling on Advance Technologies in Patient's Recovery” was participated by Amaterasu Life Sciences (Advancement on Skin Protections); ArjoHuntleigh Healthcare India Pvt Ltd (Advancement on DVT Prevention); BD India (Engineered devices on Safe Intravenous Practices); Convatec India (Advancement on Skin Protections); Helmier Private Limited (Safe Airway Management). 

Online Pre and Post Test were conducted at the beginning and end of the Conclave. All participants were awarded 1 (Pt) CNE Credit Hours by West Bengal Nursing Council.

The Conclave was attended by more than 100 + Nurses, including Faculties and Nursing Students from various Hospitals and Nursing Colleges from all over Eastern India.