The School of Nursing and Midwifery (SoNM), University of Ghana (UG) launched sandwich MPHIL and MSC nursing programmes on Friday, May 31, in Accra.
The sandwich programme offers nurses and midwives the opportunity to work and school at the same time, without having much effect on productivity.
Addressing the audience, the acting Dean of SoNM, Prof. Lydia Aziator indicated how important and timely the programe is.
“The programme is as important as it is timely, particularly because nurses and midwives currently have profound challenges of securing study leave due to the disproportionate nurse-patient ratio. Ultimately, the sandwich programme in Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Ghana will strategically position nurses and midwives to contribute substantially to the attainment of SDG3 in Ghana through advanced clinical practice and research”, said Aziator.
She added that admissions will be done biennially to enhance the quality of the programme. The next admission will be 2021.
The programme is open to all nurses and midwives with a good first degree in nursing/midwifery (at least 2nd class Lower Division) with 2 years’ experience. All applicants attend a selection interview. Applications are done online from the University of Ghana website.
The future plans of the School include introduction of the PhD Nursing programme hopefully in the next academic year. The school will also introduce MSc and MPhil Midwifery, Mental Health Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Nursing Management and Leadership, and other tailor-made programmes to meet the dynamic needs of the health system.
The University of Ghana School of Nursing and Midwifery is the most resourced in the country with 13 faculty members with PhDs currently at post. The school with such rich human resources is therefore committed to be the trailblazers for quality Nursing and Midwifery education in Ghana and the sub-region.
The school has also started short courses since January and the next on will be held between 5th to 9th August 2019 focusing on Palliative Care, Contemporary Midwifery Practice and Leadership. The course will be practical in nature and attracts 15 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points.
The Director-General for the Ghana Health Service (GHS), expressed his excitement for the sandwich programme and appealed to the students to accept placement to wherever their expertise is needed. He added that the GHS no more post nurses and midwives.
With the introduction of the online recruitment process, the applicants select the preferred region. He revealed that the on-line system will be used for study leave application next year.
The Director-General stressed the need for the introduction and implementation of such an on-line system for recruitment and study leave, to remove the human factor that has been existing in the Human Resource Management for decades.
Present at the launch were the Provost, CHS, UG, Director General of the GHS, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, the NMC Registrar, Mr Felix Nyante, the Director for Nursing and Midwifery Services, Eva Mensah, Dean of Graduate Studies, Ag. Dean, SoNM, UG, Faculty and Members of Staff, SoNM, other invited guests, the Students, and the Media.