Quality nursing education: Necessary for effective healthcare delivery

Knowledge is a powerful tool in health care, and an educated nurse can be the difference between a patient's life and death.

In view of the very important roles qualified nurses play in health delivery, there is a need for the continuation of their education, so they stay up to date with medical advances and new research.

While studying for an additional degree, nurses can improve their critical care and decision-making skills, qualifying them for senior nursing positions, such as nurse unit manager, clinical nurse specialist or nurse manager.

In this regard, the Islamic University of Ghana is to launch bachelor’s and master’s programmes in nursing to help improve on healthcare delivery in the country.

It will be undertaken in collaboration with the Iran University of Medical Sciences, which has about half a century of experience in training medical and nursing students.

Programme

The Vice-Chancellor of the Iran University of Medical Sciences branch in Ghana, Seydeh Esmat Hosseini, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the undergraduate course would last for four years, and the minimum qualification accepted for admission was the senior high school certificate.

After successful completion of the course, students would be eligible for the MSc degree, which was a two-year holistic mixture of classroom lectures and hands-on training.

“We have designed more than 100 short-term courses online, in-person and mixed format to improve the knowledge of not only nurses but also doctors, using experienced and knowledgeable professors,” he said.

“Because the field of health care is constantly evolving with new research findings, innovative treatments and advanced technologies,” Dr Hosseini added.

He said by participating in continuing education, physicians and nurses could stay informed of the latest medical knowledge, evidence-based practices, and guidelines.

“This knowledge equips them with the tools necessary to provide the highest quality of care to patients and help improve health outcomes,” the V-C said.

He said that specialised training not only broadened career prospects but also improved job satisfaction and increased earning potential.

Collaboration

Dr Hosseini further said that in the near future, an Advanced Clinical Training Centre (ACTC) would be established to further educational objectives through collaboration between the two countries.

The centre will serve as a hub for both long-term and short-term specialised and super-specialised medical and nursing training.

“With open arms, we invite nursing professors to join us as part-time teachers so that we can have more cooperation in implementing this project as best as possible.

“Since Iran and Ghana are old friends, and one of the countries with which we have cooperated the most, we hope to be able to transfer the knowledge and experience of first-class professors in the field of health and wellness to provide committed healthcare graduates,” he said.