The Nursing and Midwifery Council has launched a post diploma course in midwifery, in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and other health training institutions, to develop the skills of midwives, improve on their service delivery, and upgrade Nurses Assistants Clinical (NAC), and Nurse Assistants Preventive (NAP) from certificate to diploma.
This initiative also comes on the back of what the nurses term as neglect of post NAC and NAP nurses by the Midwifery Council.
Speaking at the launch of the course, the Registrar of the Council, Felix Nyante, explained how the programme will roll out.
“We want to give extreme recognition to the midwifery profession. There is a calibre of them that go to school to train for two years and have gone through the system to practice for 3 to 5 years, but they are not given academic recognition as diploma holders. Just because of their background, we think that we are not being fair to them, and we think the time has come to bridge the gap.
“We have identified the gaps and we are going to do an eight-week top up for them. After the top-up, they would have to write and pass the university exit exams. Beyond that, they will sit and pass the licensing exams for registered midwives. So they will get an academic diploma and their registration to practice as midwives. The course will start in June. We want to do it in such a way to address the health theme for this year’s innovation to achieve universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals. For those who have graduated, the University of Cape coast has agreed to do a mop-up for them, and it’s going to be on seniority basis. So Ghana Health Service will release them when it’s due.”
Deputy Minister of Health , Tina Mensah, who was present at the event, pledged the support of her outfit for the programme.
“The launch of the post NAC/NAP diploma in midwifery is indeed another key milestone in the development of nursing and midwifery profession in the country. The programme will have a far-reaching impact in strengthening Ghana’s health system. It will also provide for equitable and appropriate placement of midwives in varied health care roles as in the case of those who do the diploma in midwifery.
She added that “The post NAC/NAP diploma in midwifery will prepare qualified trainees to pursue a rewarding and challenging career in midwifery, adequately resource midwives with the requisite knowledge, skills and behaviours to deliver safe and effective, evidenced-based care and to ensure responsibility and accountability for their practice as midwives. It will certainly contribute to improving the quality of healthcare in the country by helping to raise the status of these group of health workers to the professional level, and prepare them for development of their midwifery careers through higher education.”
Madam Tina Mensah noted that in ensuring a successful outcome of this upgrade programme, the curriculum ought to be regularly reviewed, updated and reoriented to ensure its continued relevance to the country’s needs in midwifery service.
“On behalf of the Minister of Health, I wish to say that we are ever ready to support the next stage of the development of this educational programme.”
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By: Ann-Shirley Ziwu/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
The post Health Ministry introduces new Nursing and Midwifery course appeared first on Citi Newsroom.
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