New curricula for student-nurses/midwives launched

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Ghana has launched a reviewed curriculum for the training of nurses and midwives.

Speaking at the launch in Accra, Mr Felix Nyante, Registrar, NMC, said it was a regulatory policy for the curricular to be reviewed every five years to ensure standard in nursing and midwifery training was up to the expected level.

He noted that the new curricular, which would be used by health partners, had already been implemented and would officially be used for examination in July and August this year.

He named Relationships Marketing Strategy, Entrepreneurial Skills, Supply Chain Management, Nursing informatics, Therapeutic Communication, CHPS, Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health, French and Sign Language as some of the new courses incorporated in the curricular.

Other tropical courses include Family Planning, Malaria and HIV/AIDS.

Mr Nyante observed that the system of review had operated for 16 years thorough assessment to promote informed decisions.

Mr Laweh Tetteh, Director Human Resource, Ministry of Health, said there was the need for the review of circular for training of professionals.

He said the NMC having been clothed with the legal authority per Part Three of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857) to secure in the public interest, the highest standards of training and practice of nursing and midwifery, the NMC of Ghana was well within its rights to undertake such a venture that would ensure adequate standard in nursing and midwifery of the country.

“I am aware that section 55 (e) of Act 857 mandates the council to establish standards and provide guidelines for the development of a curriculum for training of Nurse Assistants, Nurses and Midwives.

“It is in furtherance of this mandate that the Council has reviewed the curricular,” he said.

Mr Tetteh noted that whilst all the new additions were good, the inclusion of Sign language and French in the curricula was not just innovative, but demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that feedback received from the clients and patients were utilized for improved service delivery.

“I have no doubt that this will go a long way in addressing challenges faced by our hearing impaired brothers and sisters as well as citizens from our neighboring countries, most of whom cannot speak English, yet have to seek healthcare from our facilities when they find themselves here,” he said.

Mr Tetteh commended the Board and Management of the NMC for living up to their mandate and pledged the Ministry’s support to the Council.

“Let us continue with the collaboration to ensure a healthy population because as you all know, health is wealth,” he said.

He urged health institutions to impart the knowledge and skills in the document to student nurses and midwives.

“It is my expectation that the implementation of these curricular will lead to the churning out of a new crop of nurses and midwives who will endear themselves to the public,” he said.

The last implementation of the NMC curricular was done in 2012.