TIG Post

Tag: Nursing

  • Six specialist nursing programmes open for admission – MoH

    Six specialist nursing programmes open for admission – MoH

    Applications for six post-basic specialised nursing programmes at health training institutions across the country have been opened by the Ministry of Health (MoH). The applications which was opened on Tuesday, February 3, will be closed on Thursday, March 26.

    Applicants have been directed to send their applications via the Ministry’s portal at https://register.healthtraining.gov.gh at a fee of GH¢150.

    According to the Ministry, applicants will be given a voucher with a unique PIN and serial number to track their application. As part of the requirements, applicants have been further directed to upload scanned copies of their academic and professional certificates.

    Critical Care Nursing, Emergency Nursing, Cardiology Nursing, Nephrology Nursing, Endocrinology Nursing, and Oncology Nursing are the six specialised nursing programmes currently open for admission by the Ministry of Health. The programmes are restricted to applicants with a diploma in Registered General Nursing, Midwifery, or Registered Mental Health Nursing.


    Qualified applicants will be posted to five institutions across three cities: the Peri-Operative and Critical Care School at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the Nursing and Midwifery Training College campuses in Korle Bu, Kumasi and Tamale, and the Ear, Nose and Throat School in Kumasi.


    This was contained in a press statement issued by the Ministry on Wednesday, March 4. The programmes are linked to the government’s Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as MahamaCares, and the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme.

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has announced a freeze on the accreditation of new programmes in General Nursing at both diploma and bachelor’s degree levels.

    The tertiary regulator revealed this in a statement on Thursday, Feb 6, explaining that the move is aimed at aligning training with national health-sector needs before allowing more institutions to add programmes.

    “The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, acting in accordance with its regulatory and accreditation mandates under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), and guided by national human resource development priorities, hereby announces a suspension of the accreditation of new General Nursing programmes at both diploma and bachelor’s degree levels,” parts of the statement read.

    The Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), is the law that restructured Ghana’s education regulatory framework. It merged the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and the National Accreditation Board (NAB) into the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and also established the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). Its purpose is to regulate, coordinate, and ensure quality in tertiary and technical education.

    It continued that, “Accordingly, all tertiary education institutions are hereby notified that GTEC will not receive, process, or consider any new application for General Nursing (diploma or bachelor’s degree) programmes until further notice.”

    The statement, addressed to heads of tertiary education institutions, was copied to the Minister of Education, the Minister of Health, the Registrar, Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Director of Accreditation, GTEC, Heads of traditional public universities, GTEC, Heads of technical universities and colleges, GTEC, and the Head of Compliance, GTEC.

    However, GTEC, in the statement, indicated that institutions seeking to expand their health-related programme offerings should explore and develop proposals in specialised and undersubscribed areas of nursing.

    According to the tertiary education regulator, there are not enough students training in certain important nursing fields, such as Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Anaesthesia Nursing, Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Paediatric Nursing, Oncology Nursing, Geriatric Nursing, and Nephrology Nursing, among others; hence, more attention should be given to training people in those areas.

    “These specialised fields align with national workforce gaps and are therefore more likely to receive favourable regulatory consideration,” the statement added.

    Meanwhile, in October last year, a list of 50 tertiary institutions was made public by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for operating against approved standards. The Commission’s Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, through a statement dated October 20, cautioned the public against engaging with these institutions.

    “The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) wishes to formally notify all Heads of Tertiary Institutions that the institutions listed below are currently not recognised by the Commission due to various accreditation and quality assurance breaches. Treat this caution with the seriousness it deserves,” part of the statement read.

    Among the institutions are University Azteca, Mexico; Indian School of Management and Studies, India; Breyer State Theology University, USA; Debest College of Science, Arts and Business, Ghana; Osiri University, USA; Atlantic International University, USA; Faith University Seminary (FUS), Ghana; Christian University College, Monrovia, Liberia; Rhema Bible Training College (RBTC), USA; Universidad Empresarial de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; and Selinus University of Science and Literature, Italy.

    In September, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission closed down some 149 institutions running open distance learning across the country without accreditation. According to the Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, the centres of such institutions are “unfit for purpose.”

    At a two-day workshop in Accra last week on implementing Ghana’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy for quality assurance and tertiary education stakeholders, he noted that the operations of several institutions fall short of being recognised as legitimate distance learning.

    “Unfortunately, distance education seems to be replaced with distancing education. Distancing education, manifesting in institutions moving across this country to replicate what is happening in traditional classrooms, cannot be deemed as distance education.”

    “In fact, as we speak, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has flagged some 149 distance learning centres that we think are not fit for purpose. These centres are found in second-cycle institutions, institutions that are overstretched as a result of the double track. We have centres being organised in churches, public services, public works departments, and electricity companies. In fact, we cannot allow this to happen,” he stated.

    He further emphasised that distance learning is not merely an alternative to conventional education but a central pillar for expanding access, promoting equity, and fostering innovation in tertiary education. Consequently, the Commission gave institutions a grace period to follow the proper procedures and secure authorisation to run these programmes in approved facilities.

    “As a commission, we’ve issued a moratorium to all these institutions to teach our students in these centres and to seek accreditation for facilities that are fit for purpose. Today, we are launching this particular policy involving quality assurance.”

    “What we’ve realised as a commission is that quality assurance in most of these institutions becomes overly transactional. Institutions do what they are supposed to do to please us, and once we leave, then it’s business as usual. We cannot allow that,” he noted.

  • Sista Afia to return to nursing profession at 40 years – Muician announces

    Sista Afia to return to nursing profession at 40 years – Muician announces

    Ghana Afro-pop artist Sista Afia has expressed an interest in returning to her nursing career once she reaches 40, after spending years in the music industry.

    In a recent interview on Onua TV, the singer, who was a registered nurse in the UK before moving to Ghana to pursue her passion for music, shared that her nursing profession is currently on pause while she dedicates herself to her musical journey.

    “Right now, I’m a full-time musician, and nursing is on hold. When I get to the age of 40, I’ll go back to nursing,” Sista Afia stated.

    She humorously added, “It’s been a while since I stopped school; I’ve even forgotten how to spell ‘Chloroquine.’”

    The singer, known for hits like “Jeje” and “Slay Queen,” emphasized that while music is her primary focus at the moment, she remains open to returning to her nursing profession later in life.

    Sista Afia initially pursued nursing studies at the Reverend John Teye Memorial Institute in Ghana before moving to the UK to advance her education.

    She made her way back to Ghana in 2015 to follow her passion for music and has since emerged as one of the most prominent voices in the country’s Afro-pop scene.

  • 23 students at Assinman nursing expelled for not meeting academic standards

    23 students at Assinman nursing expelled for not meeting academic standards

    The Assinman Nursing and Midwifery Training College has announced the dismissal of 23 students for not meeting the required academic standards.

    Principal Ophelia Nkrumah Johannes emphasized the seriousness of this issue, stating that nursing professionals are accountable for human lives. She warned that mistakes in training could result in unexpected fatalities, which would not only affect individuals but also undermine the healthcare system in the country.

    Johannes noted that some of the dismissed students had repeated classes several times without improvement, leaving the institution with no alternative but to take this action.

    In light of these circumstances, she urged parents to refrain from dictating career choices for their children.

    She stressed that parents’ selections may not align with their children’s true interests or capabilities, leading to unnecessary difficulties.

    To foster success, she encouraged parents to have open conversations with their children, allowing them to express their passions and interests. Johannes believes that this will help students pursue careers where they can excel.

  • Your allowances will be paid, just stand with govt – Okoe-Boye to nursing trainees

    Your allowances will be paid, just stand with govt – Okoe-Boye to nursing trainees

    Health Minister Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye has urged nursing trainees to support the Akufo-Addo administration’s efforts to disburse their allowances.

    He acknowledged that some allowances are still outstanding but assured that the government is making strides to settle these arrears.

    He contrasted this with the previous government, which he claimed lacked the resolve to pay trainee allowances.

    During the presentation of two buses to the Lekma Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra on Monday, Dr. Okoe-Boye stated,

    “There are thousands of nurses who have had allowances paid to them by this government.

    “But it is also true that there are others whose payments are in arrears. We have decided to work hard to sustain and to pay these arrears. You have to choose between the one who says I will pay you, pays you and sometimes owes you. And the other one who says that me I can’t pay these things at all. And so if you have had the other government led by John Mahama for the past eight years it will be zero for all nurses in Ghana.

    “But as we speak hundreds of thousands of nurses have had support from the Akufo-Addo government and it is true that there are hundreds of thousands who are calling for theirs to come.”

    “We will work hard to make sure that everybody receives what is due them. This is the kind of government to support. The one who says I will shoulder this trouble. I will shoulder this burden. I will work hard to sustain it.

    “It is better than the one who says this is too much load for me I can’t carry. The choice is yours, help us and we will shoulder the system.”

  • We are still awaiting allowances promised by Bawumia – Nursing trainees

    We are still awaiting allowances promised by Bawumia – Nursing trainees

    Nursing trainees were to receive their overdue allowances last week following a promise by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.

    During a campaign tour, he was approached by a trainee about the unpaid allowances and assured them that he would address the issue with the finance minister to ensure payments were made.

    Later, in a public statement, the Vice President disclosed that funds had been released for the payments as of the previous Thursday.

    However, the umbrella body for nursing and midwifery trainees reported that the payments have not yet appeared in their accounts. In a statement issued on Monday, May 20, the Coalition of Concerned Nurses and Midwives Trainees said, “Despite the Vice President’s announcement over nineteen days ago, no payments have been made nor information provided on the disbursement process. The government’s failure to address these arrears comprehensively continues to burden our future healthcare professionals.”

    The coalition also highlighted that the 177 million Ghana cedis announced by Dr. Bawumia is insufficient to cover the months owed.

    “This calculation does not include the 30% of trainees who have never received any allowances, amounting to an additional GHC209,160,000. Therefore, the minimum total arrears required is GHC209.16 Million,” the statement added.

    “The government’s failure to address these arrears comprehensively continues to burden our future healthcare professionals.”

    Health Minister Bernard Okoe Boye has assured that the government will eventually settle the arrears, unlike the previous administration that completely abolished the payments.

    The coalition also pointed out that 177 million Ghana cedi announced by Dr. Bawumia is “woefully inadequate” to cater for the number of months owed them.”

    “The recently released GHC117 million covers only 11.5% of the total arrears, which is woefully inadequate. Furthermore, 30% of the trainees, approximately 17,430 students, have never received any allowances. This group’s arrears alone amount to GHC209.16 million which is even more than the paltry Ghc177M.

  • Scholarship: Anita Robertson Graduate Bursary in Nursing

    Scholarship: Anita Robertson Graduate Bursary in Nursing

    Two graduate students studying Nursing at Brock University who demonstrate financial need will be awarded this bursary.

    Eligibility

    • To be eligible to apply for internal awards, scholarships, and bursaries, the graduate student must be registered as a full-time student.
    • A student who is withdrawn from the university or has a change of status will have their scholarship eligibility reviewed and adjustments to their financial support.
    • Must study Nursing.
    • Must demonstrate financial need.

    Benefits

    The scholarship is worth $5,707.

    Application

    When applying for graduate studies at Brock University, you must fulfill the requirement of completing and submitting the Graduate Student Internal Entrance Scholarship/Award Application.

    This application will be accessible on your applicant portal account as a mandatory document for admission. Once you have submitted your application for graduate studies, you will receive an email containing instructions on how to activate your applicant portal account.

  • Akufo-Addo urges nurses and midwives to accept postings to deprived areas

    Akufo-Addo urges nurses and midwives to accept postings to deprived areas

    President Akufo-Addo has encouraged nurses and midwives to embrace postings to rural areas, where their valuable services are in high demand.

    He said the refusal of some healthcare professionals to accept postings to some parts of the country was not helpful to efforts at making quality healthcare services accessible to all Ghanaians. 

    The President made the call on Friday at a grand durbar to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, Legon. 

    The anniversary is being celebrated under the theme: “Resilience in Developing Nursing and Midwifery Workforce: Embracing Technology and Promoting Excellence.” 

    Underlining the need for the equitable distribution of healthcare professionals across the country, President Akufo-Addo thought it was unfair for health workers to be concentrated in cities and urban areas to the detriment of people in rural settings. 

    He asked nurses and midwives to emulate their forebearers who accepted work in any part of the country even when the national infrastructure was not the best and without the incentive packages being offered presently by the government. 

    “Our schools of Nursing and Midwifery have got a good reputation and have been training good nurses and midwives who easily find work in all parts of the world. 

    “But the nurse-population ratio in our country remains unsatisfactory after 66 years of our nation. We currently do not have the number of healthcare professionals with the right mix of skills and expertise in some of our regions, districts, and deprived communities, especially in the newly created regions and districts. 

    “Nurses refusing postings is particularly distressing. I want to use this platform to encourage all health practitioners to follow the worthy example of your great forebearers who readily accepted postings in their early years when the national infrastructure was even more harrowing than it is. 

    “Therefore, I am appealing to you as passionately as I can to accept postings to all regions and district hospitals where your services are most needed,” he said.