What the GRNMA said about the cancellation of diploma and certificate nursing (TRANSCRIPT)
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has called for an overhaul in the country's nursing education system, proposing the cancellation of certificate and diploma nursing programmes in favour of degree-level education for all nursing and midwifery training.
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The General Secretary of the GRNMA, Dr. David Tenkorang Twum, announced this proposed change during an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, describing the current system as "bizarre." He stressed the need to streamline nursing education to ensure a more qualified and professional workforce.
"We think that the majority must be degree-prepared," Dr. Twum stated, highlighting the perplexity of having three different levels of entry into the nursing and midwifery profession. He pointed out that auxiliary nurses currently dominate the workforce, comprising almost 60 percent.
"We have to cancel certificate programmes, we have to cancel diploma programmes, and train nurses and midwives at the degree level," he added.
Drawing comparisons with Nigeria, where registered nurses and midwives are required to hold a first degree, Dr. Twum argued that Ghana has the necessary resources and educational institutions to implement similar standards. "We have the human resources and the schools, so we can do that," he affirmed.
Dr. Twum elaborated on the need to address the predominance of auxiliary nurses by enhancing their qualifications, stating, "The diploma and degree-trained nurses and midwives are professional nurses." He believes that preparing all nurses at the baccalaureate level will significantly improve maternal health indicators, supported by research on the effectiveness of a highly skilled nursing workforce.
The GRNMA's proposal includes measures to ensure that current certificate and diploma holders are not left behind. "If we cancel the training of diploma and certificate, we can upgrade the knowledge of those who are here," Dr. Twum explained. He mentioned that there are already courses available to help nurses and midwives upgrade their skills to the degree level.
Read the entire transcript of the General Secretary of the GRNMA, Dr. David Tenkorang Twum below;
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"Nursing is the only profession in Ghana that we have three levels of entry. Okay, almost 60 percent of our nursing workforce are auxiliary and we think that that's not the way to go. We think that the majority must be degree-prepared. So we have to cancel certificate programmes. We have to cancel diploma programmes, and train nurses and midwives at a degree level. Yes, It's a bold decision we need to do that. When you go to nex tdoor Nigeria, anybody practicing as a registered nurse or midwife has a first degree, that's when it starts... We could do better than them. All right, we have the human resource, we have the schools that can do that.Okay, currently the diploma or auxiliary nurses account for about 60 percent and then the professional nurses account for 40 percent... In Ghana, the diploma level trained and degree trained are professional nurses but what we think is that if we are able to prepare that at the baccalaureate level, it will help all these maternal indicators that we are seeking to, you know, talk about and we want to improvement in maternal health and all that premises on that. Okay, so if we cancel the training of diploma and certificate, we can upgrade the knowledge of those who are here and they are actually doing that we have access course that is churning out or upgrading the knowledge of those in certificate Diploma to Degree preparedness, so that can be done. So they will not be abandoned in that order. Previously, you had to do other things, either you go back to better your grades and stuff like that before you can even improve but now there is an access course, a bridge course that helps you to be able to upgrade your knowledge and skills to get to the degree."