The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has strongly advocated for the abolition of certificate and diploma courses in nursing and has called for all nursing education to be upgraded to university level.
This important shift is aimed at addressing the challenges in the country’s health sector by ensuring a more qualified and professional nursing workforce.
As reported by myjoyonline.com, GMA Vice President, Professor Ernest York, stressed the need for more qualified nurses, describing the current system of three different entry levels into the nursing and midwifery professions as “bizarre.”.
He highlighted the dominance of auxiliary nurses, who make up almost 60% of the workforce, stressing the need for graduate nurses to form the majority.
“The majority believe you need to have a university degree,” York said, highlighting the need for more nurses.
“We need to get rid of the certificate programs, get rid of the diploma programs, and train nurses and midwives at a graduate level,” he added.
Professor York drew a comparison with Nigeria, where certified nurses and midwives are required to have a first degree, arguing that Ghana has the necessary resources and educational facilities to adopt a similar standard.
“We can do this because we have the manpower and the schools. Graduate and postgraduate nurses and midwives are professional nurses,” he said.
The GMA recommendation to upgrade nursing education to tertiary level is an important step towards improving the quality of Ghana’s health care system.
By prioritizing graduate nurses, Ghana can improve patient outcomes, reduce maternal mortality, and meet international standards.
Successful implementation of this proposal will require cooperation from all stakeholders, but the potential benefits to the health care system and the country as a whole make it a worthwhile endeavor.
