Cancer and palliative care nurses will hold their Annual Scientific Conference in Mombasa County.
The conference seeks to address the emerging challenges in cancer nursing.
The conference will be opened by the Permanent Secretary, State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards at the Ministry of Health Mary Muthoni.
This is the largest, most comprehensive cancer nursing forum in the country bringing together nurses directly involved in patient care, academia, advocacy and research from all 47 counties.
On Tuesday, the nurses complained of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and compassion fatigue among other occupational stressors.
This, they said, is a result of lack of investment by the government in mental health for cancer professionals.
“Addressing human resource shortages, erratic drugs supply as well as implementing structured debriefing programmes is an urgent imperative for the national and county governments,” Roselyn Okumu said.
Okumu is the President of the Oncology Nurses Chapter.
The Oncology Nurses Chapter Kenya (ONC-K) on Tuesday said the several cancer cases diagnosed in the country daily, exert pressure on the nurses who are handling the cases taking a toll on their mental wellbeing.
ONC-K is the professional body of nurses working in oncology and palliative care committed to promoting excellence in oncology nursing and the transformation of cancer care and is a member of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care.
ONC-K estimates note that there is the ever-rising burden of cancer in Kenya where more than 100 patients are diagnosed with cancer daily.
