KATRA: The 2-day National Conference on "Recent Advances and Future Trends in Nursing and Healthcare Sciences" commenced today at Spiritual Growth Centre, Katra organized by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi College of Nursing (SMVDCoN). Scheduled from February 13-14, 2025, this 1st landmark conference in the year-2025 brings together esteemed experts, healthcare professionals and nursing educators to share knowledge, experiences and best practices in healthcare.
Extending a warm welcome to the dignitaries and participants across the country in the holy town of Katra, Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) provided an overview of the Board's framework that guides the endeavors of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi College of Nursing. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the Hon'ble Chairman, SMVDSB (Lt. Governor, JK-UT) for his visionary guidance and constant support under which such events are being organized to promote excellence in healthcare education. He also extended his gratitude to Dr. K.K. Talwar, Padma Bhushan Awardee, former Chairman of the Medical Council of India and former Director of PGIMER, Chandigarh and other dignitaries for accepting invitation and gracing the occasion with their presence and being the source of inspiration for the participants.
He underscored that the Board has decided to take its healthcare ecosystem to the next level by establishing a Medical College, known as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Excellence. While again expressing his gratitude to Dr. Talwar for leading the transparent recruitment process of the faculty based on merit for the new Medical College, as the chairman of the selection committee, the CEO said that the infrastructure and faculty for this institution are already in place and the move is a significant step towards providing quality medical education and healthcare services in the region.
He emphasized that the Board's motivation towards excellence stems from the inspiring legacy and blessings of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, which serves as a success story for the Board and its institutions. Confident in the potential of this gathering, he expressed his expectation that it would facilitate meaningful discussions, foster innovative insights and ultimately yield transformative solutions.
Dr. K.K. Talwar, the Chief Guest, delivered a keynote emphasizing the importance of innovation in nursing education, particularly in J&K. He highlighted the need for more postgraduate programs to elevate nursing education in the region. He also stressed that nurses, being the backbone of the healthcare system, must cultivate empathy and a caring attitude to alleviate the suffering of patients besides specialization in nursing care. He remarked that Indian nurses have been making significant contributions globally and this trend is expected to continue, providing promising opportunities for young nursing graduates.
The dignitaries marked a significant milestone by releasing a book titled "Novennial" which chronicles the remarkable nine-year journey of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi College of Nursing (SMVDCoN).
The conference featured over 35 resource persons from prestigious institutions, who shared their expertise through plenary sessions, panel discussions, keynote addresses and scientific research paper presentations. Besides, it will cover various topics including harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, empowering nurses with benchmarking standards, effective hospital management and digital healthcare strategies, emotional intelligence and professionalism in nursing practice, e-learning, entrepreneurship in nursing and globalization in nursing education under trends.
Earlier, the event also featured a pre-conference workshop on the theme "Empowering Health Care Professionals: A Next Level Skill" on February 12, 2025.
Among other dignitaries present on the occasion were Suresh Kumar Sharma, Member, SMVDSB and Chairman GB, SMVDCoN; Prof. (Dr.) Pragati Kumar, Vice Chancellor, SMVDU; Alok Kumar Maurya, Addl. Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB; Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Executive Director, SMVDIME and Administrator, SMVDCoN; Dr. Shailla Cannie, Dean & Principal, SMVDCoN, faculty and staff of SMVDCoN and national and local experts from various institutions.
