"It's Bizzare": GRNMA Advocates For Cancellation Of Certificate And Diploma Nursing Courses

• The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association is calling for the cancellation of certificate and diploma nursing programmes
• The President of GRNMA, Dr Tenkorang Twum, said having three different entryways into the nursing profession is bizarre
• He has also called for all nursing training to be elevated to the degree level to enhance their service delivery

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has called for the cancellation of certificate and diploma nursing programmes, in a move aimed at elevating nursing training and education in the country.

The GMA is proposing all certificate and diploma courses be replaced with degree courses to ensure a highly skilled and professional nursing workforce.

The GRNMA President, Dr Tenkorang Twum, argued that the current system is bizarre and does not adequately address the challenges in the country’s healthcare sector.

Read also

GRNMA urges government to allocate 5% of Ghana's oil revenue to health sector

Speaking to JoyNews on Wednesday, Dr Tenkorang Twum noted that having three different levels of entry into the nursing and midwifery profession was perplexing.

He said the situation has left the health sector with an overwhelming percentage of auxiliary nurses - approximately 60% of the workforce.

He believes the situation must be reversed such that degree-prepared nurses make up the majority.

"We have to cancel certificate programs, we have to cancel diploma programs, and train nurses and midwives at the degree level," he stated.

Dr Tenkorang Twum said Ghana has the necessary resources and educational institutions to raise the professional qualification standards and must do so.

He said while auxiliary nurses are indeed professional nurses, their qualifications must be enhanced to improve the quality of their services.

He believes preparing all nurses at the baccalaureate level will significantly improve maternal health indicators as well as other health related indicators.

Read also

National Service Scheme opens six-month volunteer recruitment for unemployed graduates and youth

Meanwhile, he said when the certificate and diploma programmes are cancelled, existing nurses with those qualifications can be upgraded by enrolling them on already available degree courses.

24% of Ghana-trained nurses work abroad

The latest Ghana Human Development Report has noted that 24 percent of nurses trained in Ghana work abroad.

The report, released on June 26, 2024, attributed the trend to poor working conditions.

It warned that Ghana’s health system could worsen if immediate steps are not taken to stem the exodus of doctors and nurses trained in Ghana.

For doctors, the report noted that 50 percent of those trained in Ghana have also left.

The study indicated that the health sector is in a precarious state due to this layer of brain drain.

The report, authored by the United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the Statistical Service and the National Development Planning Commission, can be viewed here.

Read also

Gold Fields Ghana Foundation visits scholars in tertiary and senior high schools

Nursing and Midwifery Council implements new fees

YEN.com.gh also reported that the Nursing and Midwifery Council implemented new fees for its services, except for foreign verification.

This was after the approval of the foreign verification fee, set to be hiked to GH¢3,000, was met with intense backlash from Ghanaians.

The NMC previously stated that the foreign verification fee would remain at GH¢550 until stakeholders concluded their engagement.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh