At the “Our Nurses, Our Future Symposium” organized by the Nursing Department of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU) as part of Nursing Week events, the future of the profession, leadership roles, and the transformative power of nursing within the healthcare system were discussed.
Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University organized the “Our Nurses, Our Future Symposium” during Nursing Week to discuss the future of the nursing profession, which serves as a cornerstone of the healthcare system. The symposium was attended by Vice Rectors Erhan İçener and Nihat Erdoğmuş, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Ayşe Nefise Bahçecik, academics, and students. Speakers emphasized that nursing is a profession enriched by scientific knowledge.
BAHÇECİK: “NURSING IS THE ART OF TOUCHING HUMAN LIFE”
In her opening speech, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Ayşe Nefise Bahçecik reminded attendees that May 12 is celebrated worldwide as a period of awareness because it marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Referring to the critical role of nursing in protecting the health of individuals, families, and communities, Bahçecik said, “This theme clearly demonstrates that nursing is not merely a caregiving profession but a fundamental pillar of healthcare systems.” She described an empowered nursing profile as professionals equipped with scientific knowledge and strong decision-making skills, adding that their primary goal is to educate generations who are committed to ethical principles and possess a strong sense of professional belonging.
ERDOĞMUŞ: “TECHNOLOGY MAY TRANSFORM THE PROFESSION, BUT ITS CORE EMPATHY MUST BE PRESERVED”
Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Nihat Erdoğmuş described nursing as a noble profession devoted to all humanity and stated that such gatherings represent not only a celebration but also an expression of gratitude. Emphasizing that the profession is deeply connected with leadership, empowerment, and transformation, Erdoğmuş said, “Nursing is built upon human contact and empathy, values too precious to be left at the mercy of algorithms.” He noted that while technology may transform the profession, its human essence must be preserved, and added that nurses feel far more empowered in environments where they can exercise initiative and feel institutional support.
THE FUTURE OF NURSING AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
The symposium’s scientific sessions featured contributions from leading experts in the field. In the first session, Sergül Duygulu, Head of the Nursing Management Department at Hacettepe University, emphasized that in order to reshape the global healthcare architecture, nursing should be positioned not merely as a branch of caregiving but as one of the healthcare system’s most fundamental and active founding elements.
Joining the program online from the United States, Meghan Turchioe, a faculty member at Columbia University, evaluated the clinical reflections of empowerment in nursing during her presentation titled “Nurse-Led Clinical Decision Support Systems.”
Another online presenter, Mary Ann Lavin, CEO of Tiiko and one of the founding figures behind the NANDA movement, which revolutionized the standardization of nursing diagnoses in nursing literature, focused on “Nursing Throughout History: The Empowerment of a Professional Discipline” and shared the historical evolution of the profession with the audience. The symposium’s final speaker, Semanur Kumral Özçelik, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Marmara University, discussed the concept of “Empowering Leadership” from an academic perspective.