Rufaida Hamdard College of Nursing Hosts Groundbreaking Seminar on Legal & Ethical Aspects in Nursing!

By: Shabir Hussain Jhatial 

The Rufaida Hamdard College of Nursing an off shoot of Hamdard University (RHCN-HU) organized an ground breaking seminar on "Legal & Ethical Aspects in Nursing Practice".  Eminent Legal &  Nursing Academia gathered at RHCN-HU Gadap Campus Karachi to commemorate the incredible evolution of RHCN as one among the best institutes in Sindh on the eve of final year  students's placement at clinical sites and the "Commencement Day" of 4th BS-Batch since its reestablishment as Degree Awarding Institution.

This well organized seminar in HU's majestic auditorium where Jinnah Sahib and Shaheed Hakeem Saeed's big profile pics were overlooking at the stage and the audience gave a Socratic feel.  The  fragrance of Hakim Said's wise presence remained all along the day: right from the beginning with Fateha on his resting tomb surrounded by lush greenery to the recitation of his famous Dua-e- Saeed at the end of Seminar in full packed auditorium with nursing students and academia.

A globally recognized Human Rights activist Advocate Zia Ahmed Awan, Ex Dean of AKUSONAM  Professor Dr. Tazeen Ali,  Advocate High Court and Academician Farah Khan, Associate Dean Hamdard Law College Anwar Ahmed and renowned nursing acadmician Shabir Hussain Jhatial attended  the Seminar as guest speakers.

 The presence of H. U  Vice Chancellor Sayed Shabibul Hassan, Dean Medical  Zia-ur-Rahman, Principal & Faculty RHCN Alia Nasir augmented the event to an event of next level. 

The seminar began with the welcoming speech of Principal RHCN-HU Ms.Alia Nasir who set the tone of the seminar by quoting the Nightingale Oath enshrined with ethics and legal aspects as basic principles of practice.

 Ex- Dean AKUSONM, Professor Tazeen Ali as Key Note Speaker encompassed the legal aspects of care and ethical dilemmas that nurses come across during their practice underlining the advent and utilization of AI advancements.

In her well calibrated  presentation, Dr. Tazeen also cited her personal and administrative anecdotes related to the practicality of both aspects of practice under focus that impact safe quality patient care. She emphasized final year students set to be assigned at clinical sites that by abiding legal and ethical protocols, the nurses are in the best position to safeguard the rights, dignity and lives of the clients. She shed light on errors  and how to minimize them that pose serious consequences both for the lives of clients and the safety of nurses as well.

Speaking as Chief Guest the globally recognized Human Rights Activist and founder of the Lawyers for Human Rights & Legal Aid (LHRLA) Advocate Zia Ahmed Awan said that his career began from working for protection of prisoners' rights while his own imprisonment against Marshal Law. That spread to his Legal Aid Help Line concept now spread to 88 countries. 

Advocate Awan revealed that during his three decades career a couple of cases were reported by nurses that eventually landed in the Superior Courts'  landmark verdicts. Advocate revealed that some two decades ago Ms. Alia Nasir approached him to provide legal help to divorced women of Bhaba Island women that turned the lives of wretched women folk living in the coastal lines of Sindh and Balochistan. 

Advocae Farah Khan, the law academia and lawyer of High Court based her speech on the  "Duty of Care" concept that governs all health professionals including the nurses. In her orderly and impressive speech she revealed that 2023 Medico Legal ACT includes now the nurses as part of it and the  "Duty of Care" thus it is a must for every nurse to understand its implications with regard to their practice, rights and limitations. Advocate Farah encompassed the legal aspects license, health care settings, responsibilities and accountabilities of the nurses to practice nursing under the legal concept of "Duty of Care" and Medico Legal Act that now includes nurses as part of it.

Advocate Anwar Ahmed Dean Law College H.U suggested nurses academia to review the Cuban Model of Nursing and devise its application in Pakistan to provide effective and affordable services to patients and communities. 

The question-Answer Session was mediated by Shabir Hussain Jhatial where audiences asked questions and explanations from the distinguished guests. After this interactive and lively session the VC Hamdard University Sayed Shabibul Hassan, Dean Zia-ur- Rahman and principal RHCN Ms Alia Nasir presented momento and buckeyes to the guests.

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