The WHO/HQ Blood Transfusion Safety Team (WHO/BTS), working with the WHO regions for Africa (AFR), Eastern Mediterranean (EMR) and South-East Asia (SEAR), and the departments of 'Making Pregnancy Safer', 'Patient Safety Programme', Injection Safety' and 'Health Professions Networks, Nursing and Midwifery' team at WHO/HQ, convened a 3-day inter-regional consultation on the role of nurses and midwives in ensuring safe transfusion for patient care. Its objectives were to highlight the importance of the role of nurses and midwives in ensuring safe clinical transfusion practice, to encourage countries to share experiences in current clinical transfusion practices and to develop evidence-based strategies and country action plans to ensure patient safety during transfusion.
This consultation was jointly organized by the Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Centre and is co-sponsored by the Government of the United Arab Emirates. It was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 19 to 21 April 2010 with the collaboration of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF), World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH), International Council of Nurses (ICN) and International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).
A total of 55 participants attended the consultation from 18 countries in the WHO AFRO, EMRO and SEARO Regions. The participants from the countries included representatives from the ministries of health overseeing nurses and midwives' functions and education, and from national nursing and midwifery associations. The methodology of the consultation includes presentations, group discussions, development of country plans and recommendations.
Objectives of the consultation
- To identify and highlight the importance of the role of nurses and midwives in ensuring safe clinical transfusion practice.
- To provide a platform for countries to share experiences in current clinical transfusion practice among nurses and midwives and develop evidence-based strategies to ensure patient safety during transfusion.
- To introduce the WHO Aide-Mémoire on 'Clinical Transfusion Process and Patient Safety', 'Phlebotomy Guidelines' and the Training Toolkit on 'Safe Transfusion Practice'.
- To identify key elements to be integrated into the education and training of nurses and midwives on safe clinical transfusion.
- To identify countries' priorities for action and development of country action plans.
- To make recommendations to WHO/BTS and other international partners for supporting countries in establishing systems for safe transfusion for patient care.
Expected outcomes
- Identification of critical roles of nurses and midwives in contributing to safe transfusion for patient care.
- Facilitation of information-sharing and communication of evidence-based strategies and innovative approaches to ensuring patient safety during the clinical transfusion process in hospitals.
- Introduction and familiarization of participants with WHO publications and materials to promote patient safety and safe clinical transfusion practice.
- Identification of countries' priorities for action and development of country action plans.
- Review and refining of strategies and activities of international organizations and institutions for policy guidance and technical support to respond to countries' needs in ensuring safe transfusion for patient care.