…how nurses can take care of themselves whilst handling trauma situations and empower themselves to better meet the challenges of trauma care and healing... 
 

…to sensitize, enrich, encourage and empower nurses in Mumbai — to reach out to the ever-demanding global needs…. helped to realize their nursing potential to contribute to the growing needs of our ‘Global Village.’

14th January 2014 marked the beginning of a collaborative effort by the Nursing Division of the P.D. Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre in Mumbai, India — with Dr. Holly K. Shaw, PhD, RN — a Certified Trauma Specialist, an Associate Professor at Adelphi University School of Nursing in New York and a Member of the Executive Committee of the United Nations NGO-Department of Public Information — UN DPI. The event invited and brought together 100 Indian nurses from various fields of practice — both from within the Hinduja Hospital Staff and from the Mumbai at large. Dr. Shaw was introduced to Mrs. Phalakshi Manjrekar — the Director of Nurses who also serve’s on Hinduja’s Board of Management — through their mutual contributions to the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health (NIGH) network — where Mrs. Manjrekar also actively serves on the Executive Committee of NIGH World’s Board of Directors and Dr. Shaw serves on NIGH’s Advisory Board and as the Mentor of NIGH’s DPI-NGO Representatives at the UN Headquarters in New York City.

Above right: Dr. Holly Shaw, PhD, RN, receives flowers of gratitude from Mrs. Phalakshi Manjrekar, MSN, Director of Nurses at the Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre in Mumbai. Above centre: Mumbai-based nurses from Hinduja and surrounding areas encircle Dr. Shaw and Ms. Majrekar. Photos from Dr. Shaw’s Archives, used with permission.

Dr. Holly Shaw sharing with nursing delegates, from her Archives, used with permission.       Hinduja Hospital’s Director of Nurses & Board of Management Member, Mrs. Phalakshi Manjrekar — joining in the appreciative applause for Dr. Shaw. Photo used with permission.

Nurses responding to the needs of trauma and grief…

This collaboration was marked with a morning seminar which was opened by Mrs. Manjrekar introducing Dr. Shaw as the guest speaker. Dr. Shaw began the seminar by addressing the participating nurses on the subject of ‘Trauma & Healing’ — which enlightened them on Trauma’s phases and the effects. Dr. Shaw’s was a nursing perspective on the subject — projected her multi-dimensional approach — whilst dealing with both trauma and grief. She also emphasized on how nurses can and should take care of themselves whilst handling trauma situations and, thus, empower themselves to meet the challenges of Trauma Care. The experiences she cited and shared — during the course of the seminar — had a catalytic effect on participants — assisting them to become better nurses in Trauma’s care and healing.

In a related story, see how nurses responded to Mumbai’s Taj Hotel bombing >>

Connecting nurses with the United Nations’ Millennium & Sustainable Development Goals…

The morning session was followed by lunch featuring Indian cuisine spread for the nursing delegates who were invited to participate in the seminar. After lunch, the second session saw Dr. Shaw elaborating on the United Nations Family of Organizations working worldwide. The aim of this session was to sensitize, enrich, encourage and empower nurses in Mumbai — to reach out to ever-demanding Global needs. As Dr. Shaw spoke about the UN’s Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, participants were helped to realize their potential to contribute to the growing needs of our ‘Global Village.’

The day’s seminar was created as a platform for nurses to interact with Dr. Shaw and understand that they have the potential — to go beyond cultural, regional and national boundaries— to care for and heal humanity.

The programme concluded by felicitation of Dr. Holly Shaw by Mrs. Phalakshi Manjrekar, following a proposed  ‘Vote of Thanks.’ As the event concluded, the delegates parted ways — promising to rejoin in such endeavours in the future, bringing them together again — collaborating to address global health and social issues of concern. This collaboration builds on the work of Mrs. Manjrekar and her staff as they teamed-up — in 2013 — to develop a Maternal Health Research study in the rural outskirts of Mumbai. In 2007, Mrs. Manjrekar was one of the first nursing leaders — from across India — to introduce NIGH and the ‘Nightingale Declaration for a Healthy World’ to India and to the Trained Nurses Association of India, TNAI.