Military Nursing Symposium starts August 6

On invitation from the United States Thirteenth Air Force under the patronage of the Defence and Urban Development Ministry, the Sri Lanka Air Force and the United States Pacific Air Force will host the sixth Asia-Pacific Military Nursing Symposium from August 6-10 in Colombo at Hotel Taj Samudra.

The Asia Pacific Military Nursing Symposium is the only multinational military nursing gathering that bonds military nurses within the Asia Pacific region. The first multinational APMNS was held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2007 and since then this annual event has validated the importance of sharing nursing visions, fostering multi-lateral relationships and enhancing interoperability with allied forces.

The goal of this annual gathering is to provide a forum for military nurses to explore challenges, opportunities and diverse experiences related to military nursing practices and research.

The symposium aims to expand knowledge, share expertise and advance skills through mutual discussion of professional nursing development evidence based practices and patient outcome research.

The symposium represents a unique opportunity for military nursing professionals to engage on issues of mutual interest, exchange knowledge/expertise, promote excellence in nursing practices, enhance professional relationships and foster healthcare interoperability between Asia Pacific nations. In addition to the US and co-host, Sri Lanka, participating nations include Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

The theme of this year's symposium is "Infection Control and Traumatic Injury Management in the Military: Build Competence, Gain Confidence and Initiate Change."

This would be a great opportunity to highlight the role and contribution of the Sri Lankan Military medical services for the betterment of the military. In addition this event will also provide good opportunity to promote Sri Lankan culture and tourism in the region.