Effective regulation and delivery of good nursing care largely depends on stakeholder collaboration says Nursing and Midwifery Council of Zambia Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Beauty Zimba. Mrs. Zimba says the Ministry of Health, Teaching Hospitals, Academic institutions and Professional associations are indispensable in ensuring that curriculum development for the nursing profession is attained.

The Registrar said this in a speech read on her behalf by the Director Regulation and Compliance, David Mbewe at a stakeholder consultative meeting to review and strengthen the Critical care and Operative theatre nursing curriculum in Lusaka today.

Mrs Zimba said Zambia currently lacks standardized competency frameworks and structured training pathways for perioperative nurses.

She explained that this regulatory and policy gap affects not only quality of care, but also patient safety and workforce planning.

“This meeting is not just about developing a curriculum or writing a policy, it is about shaping the future of specialised nursing in Zambia. It is about ensuring that our health system is ready and able to respond to emergencies, to complexity, and to the lives entrusted in their care”, she said.

The Registrar shared that as the population grows and healthcare complexity increases specialized nursing services particularly in critical care and preoperative services have become essential pillars of hospital-based care.