Nurse Practitioners Stage 50th Biannual Seminar

The 50th biannual seminar of the Nurse Practitioners, will be held on July 7 – 9, at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Hotel, in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, under the theme, “Lifestyle Diseases Prevention and Control: A Shifting Paradigm”.

Chairman of the planning committee, Isolyn Bell-Rose, told JIS News that the rationale for the seminar was to provide a forum for graduate nurse practitioners to utilize current research in maintaining quality clinical practice while advocating the use of policies, community participation and primary and secondary prevention strategies in the management of selected chronic lifestyle diseases.

The objectives of the seminar include corroborating the findings from various Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) in order to prevent and control specific diseases; review management of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases; demonstrate improved knowledge and skills in the management as part of the protocols of the Ministry of Health; and demonstrate strategies to prevent/control behavioral and biological risk factors for CNCDs and selected cancers.

Topics to be presented at the seminar include chronic diseases; updates on cervical and prostate cancer; review and current management of diabetes mellitus and hypertension; the role of physical activity in healthy lifestyle; dietary guidelines; case study on obesity; and pharmaceutical update.

Presenters for the seminar include Dr. Curtis Yeates, Head of Internal Medicine; Dr. Rosemarie Wright-Pascoe, Consultant Physician & Endocrinologist at the University of the West Indies (UWI); Dr. Yumkella Kamara, Senior Medial Officer at the Falmouth Hospital; the Abott Laboratories; and Lasco Limited.

Dr. Knox Hagley, Chairman of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, has been invited as guest speaker at the opening session on Wednesday, July 7, at 9:00 a.m.