By Peter Agengre
A Senior Lecturer and Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr. Vida Yakong, says the certificate in nursing programmes has outlived its usefulness in the country and must be scrapped.
She indicated that there are all kinds of institutions springing up as training institutions for nursing and midwifery, hence compromising the quality education needed in the profession.
According to her, there is the need to review the different programmes that exist and upgrade them to a level that is consistent with international standards.
“We need to end the certificate training and move on to first degree level. We also need to create opportunities for those with certificates to be upgraded to fist degree level to improve their skills for quality service delivery. Ghanaians deserve more than what we have today,” Dr. Yakong appealed to government.
The senior lecturer was addressing the theme, “Quality Nursing and Midwifery Education: The Role of Stakeholders” at the maiden graduation as well as the eleventh, fifth, and eighteenth matriculation ceremonies for Registered General Nursing (RGN), Post Nurse Assistant Clinical/NAP Midwifery and Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC) of the Zuarungu Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the Upper East Region.
“As we speak of quality, we also need to review the different programmes that exist and upgrade them to level that are consistent with international standards. In most countries, the entry point for nursing and midwifery is first degree. It is time for government and regulatory bodies to revisit the processes that were started to make this move but short-lived for political reasons,” Dr. Vida Yakong requested.
A total of one hundred and forty-five (145) students graduated with certificates and diplomas in Registered General Nursing and Registered Nurse Assistant Clinical.