During a meeting on the afternoon of January 18 with President Rosemary Bryant of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), President Ma Ying-jeou on behalf of the government and people of the ROC extended a welcome to President Bryant on her visit to Taiwan, and explained the government's achievements in reforming labor conditions for nurses here.
In remarks, the president noted that the ICN is a non-governmental organization with 136 member nations. The ICN maintains a formal relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO), he said, adding that the organization is highly thought of. President Ma expressed his highest regards to President Bryant, commenting that she represents 13 million nurses throughout the world, has long pursued policies that emphasize professional, high-quality nursing care, and has helped Taiwan to expand its interaction with the international community.
The president stated that the Taiwan Nurses Association has for many years been an active participant in ICN conferences and activities. Presently, he said, Standing Director of the Taiwan Nurses Association Teresa J. C. Yin (尹祚芊) is serving as Second Vice President of the ICN. Furthermore, with the assistance of these two organizations, Taiwan has been able to participate in the meetings held by the WHO related to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and policies on nursing, he said.
President Ma pointed out that Taiwan is currently facing challenges associated with a declining birth rate, an aging population, an increase in the complexity of illnesses, and heightened consumer awareness. The president said that if Second Vice President Yin is elected as the new president of the ICN, Taiwan can improve its environment for the nursing profession via international interaction. In addition, since Taiwan is already a member of the ICN, its interests should not be affected if mainland China joins the organization in the future, he stated.
The president stressed that the ICN is an impartial, professional, and humanitarian organization that is better off when political interference is minimized. In particular, he said, the relationship between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is presently quite stable and peaceful. This spirit should be extended into the international community and throughout international organizations, he added.
President Ma also mentioned that Taiwan in recent years has faced a shortage of nurses, which has put an extra burden on qualified nurses. Currently, over 200,000 people have nursing licenses in Taiwan, he stated, but as of the end of April of last year, only 136,000 people were employed as nurses. The president explained that the Executive Yuan's Department of Health is working to improve conditions for the nursing profession, adding that the number of practicing nurses as of the end of December last year increased by 4,592 to 140,000, which he said was a new record. Among these individuals were nurses working in the profession for the first time as well as nurses who had left the field and now have returned to it. This indicates the people still have confidence in the nursing profession and zeal for nursing work. In addition, the president stated, the Department of Health in 2011 and 2012 appropriated NT$1 billion and NT$2 billion, respectively, to improve working conditions for nurses who are on a rotating schedule and have to work overnight shifts.
President Ma emphasized that he has repeatedly affirmed the government's commitment to the highest professional nursing standards, which includes ensuring dignity in the workplace, reducing the imposition of unnecessary administrative responsibilities upon nurses, and making sure they can get off duty on time. He further expressed confidence that the recent increase in the number of nurses will gradually reduce work pressure on those in the profession.
Looking to the future, the president also expressed his desire for related government agencies to continue promoting nursing reform, and to work for a balance of supply and demand in the field. He also said he hopes that the public will support the government's reform efforts.
In addition to President Bryant, the delegation also included ICN's Second Vice President Yin and President Kwua-Yun Wang (王桂芸) of the Taiwan Nurses Association. The group was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Minister of Health Wen-ta Chiu (邱文達) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Philip Y. M. Yang (楊永明).