13TH SOUTH PACIFIC NURSES FORUM

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13TH SOUTH PACIFIC NURSES FORUM

• WESTERN SAMOA
• APIA
• SEPTEMBER, 2006

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• PAPUA NEW GUINEA NURSES ASSOCIATION
• PORT MORESBY
• Papua New Guinea, the Land of the Unexpected
• Welcomes every South Pacific Nurse to this
  presentation.

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TITLECOUNTRY REPORT SURVEY PRESENTATION ON
PNG NURSES HEALTH STATUS

• PRESENTERS
• LAWRENCE NAMARO
• President-PNG Nurses Association
• THOMPSON TELEPO
• Tutor, Nursing Division
• University of Papua New Guinea

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• BACKGROUND
• Papua New Guinea is located south East to
  Australia and is by far the largest island
  countries in the South Pacific region in its land
  mass population. PNG occupies a total land area
  of 462, 840 square kilometers, and has a total
  population of 6 000 000 people (National Census,
  2000).
• Papua New Guinea has more than 700 languages and
  has a diverse culture with rich natural resources
  such as gold, copper, gas, oil and marine
  resources and tropical timber of which many
  projects are under operation and others explored
  for development.
• Out of this three quarters (80 ) live in rural
  areas while remaining population (20 ) live and
  work in urban towns and cities. Like other South
  Pacific Island economy is characterized by two
  distinct sectors subsistence and formal economic
  sectors. The subsistence economy is estimated to
  generate about forty percent (40) of Gross
  Domestic Product (GDP) and around thirty-five
  percent (35 ) of total exports.
• According to NHP, Volume 3 (2001-2010), The Life
  Expectancy at Birth is 54, Infant Mortality Ratio
  is 73/1000 births, children under 5 years the
  Mortality ratio is, 102/1000 births and Maternal
  Mortality Ratio is 370 per 100,000 births. (World
  Health Report, 2000, Country Health Information
  Profiles, 1997, Demographic and Health Survey,
  1996, National Health Information System)

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• Papua New Guinea has 17 major provincial
  hospitals
• four main regions, the Southern region has 5
  hospitals, Highlands has 4, Momase has another 4
  and the Islands has 4 hospitals.
• According to National Inventory of Health
  Facilities (1998),
• 48 urban clinics, 189 health centers, 319 health
  sub-centres and 1506 Aidposts
• Approximately, 50 of rural health facilities are
  not functioning well (Asmru, 2001).
• There are about a total of 316 Medical Officers,
  233 HEO, 2920 Nursing Officers and 3926 Community
  Health Workers working throughout different
  health facilities. However, there are 12607 grand
  total of allied health workforce in this country.
  (National Inventory of Health Facilities, 1998).

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• There are five nursing colleges in PNG of which
  many are amalgamated with different universities
  and are offering Diploma in nursing
• Division of Nursing with NDOH amalgamated with
  School of Medicine and Health Sciences,
  University of Papua New Guinea in 2002 and today
  offers Bachelor in clinical Nursing (Midwifery,
  Pediatric, Acute Care, Mental Health) and
  Bachelor in Nursing (Nursing Administration,
  Education Community Health Nursing
  Administration).
• The nursing workforce in PNG are aging and
  government decision for Retrenchment exercises-
  have seen reduction in labor force where health
  demands are rising every now and then. The
  Department of Personnel Management Treasury
  currently are reviewing staffing levels of health
  care workers.

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TITLE

• HEALTHY NURSES FOR NON
• COMMUNICABLE DISEASE FREE PACIFIC. A PROSPECTIVE
  STUDY OF PAPUA NEW GUINEAN NURSES

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Background Cont

• UPNG ideal, only University has medical and
  allied health sciences nursing programs
• Nurses come to upgrade their general nursing
  certificate to bachelor nursing clinical
  nursing through conversion
• Convenience sample population representative from
  provinces
• Anticipated better respondents rate

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Respondents rates from Nursing Division, SMHS,
University of Papua New Guinea.
100 Respondents rate, satisfactory rate
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Provinces of Origin working

• Morobe 5 Sandaun 1 Vanuatu 1
• Manus 4 Madang 3 Micronesia 1
• NCDC 22 Chimbu 2 Solomon Is 5
• Enga 8 WNB 4 n/indicative 8
• ENB 4 MilneBay 2
• NIreland 3 Oro 1
• WP 7 NSP 3
• WHP 10 EHP 1
• ESP 3 SHP 1
• Gulf 3 N/Sure 1

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Nurses working in various institutions
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Nurses working age ranges
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DISCUSSION

• The health status of the nurses are at average as
  evident (60 ) responded that their health was in
  good condition, However, it is evident that more
  nurses do not eat regular balance diet (37), 12
  smoking cigarettes, 26 drinking alcohol and
  39 do not have regular exercises and 4 smoke
  and inhale maurijuana. The results are evident
  where more nurses (70 ) are not knowledgeable
  about the concept of non communicable diseases
  and even nurses present with diabetics, heart
  related diseases and high blood pressure, others
  with asthma and lung diseases.
• However, the results of study may not be
  indicative of incidence of NCD in general
  population as nurses income above national per
  capita income and male and female ratio not
  consistent with country demographics. Salary
  income range for an average nurse would be
  Australian 5000-7000 per annum. In various
  institutions, for example, Church health services
  salary beginning is as low as A100 dollars for
  12 working days.

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• It is evident that (37) do not eat balanced
  diet, that could mean that other factors also
  contribute, low salary income, unbudgeted
  spending, situation crises or cultural obligation
  of caring for extended families, income spending
  on alcohol and smoking cigarettes, consequently,
  not enough money to buy regular balanced diet,
  which could lead to malnutrition and starving.

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Status of Nurses General Health

• However, few indicated encountering problems such
  as
• Cardiac Palpitations (2 )
• Asthma (3 )
• Known diabetic (3)
• Ingestion problem (1)
• Bleeding gums (1)
• Ovarian cystectomy (3)
• Haemorrahage, bleeding anus (1)
• Skin infections (3 )
• Knee aches and pains (4)
• Prolonged standing in theatre inflicted a lot of
  leg pains (4 )
• Insomnia (2 )
• Gaining a lot of weight (20 ) (due to study)
• Hernias repaired (1)

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General Comments

• A lot of money spent on extended families on
  situation crises bases
• Government should increase nurses salary cap,
  average
• Unwise spending commented by majority
• Nurses be of good living examples to others
• Health Island concept

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• Short life-span
• Good working environment
• Government provide gym for exercises and
  aerobics
• More comparative research in these area in nurses
  across PNG
• Research was of much benefit