New Course to Boost Nursing Standards

A new Postgraduate Diploma in Nurs­ing Leadership and Management course has been added to the list of programmes offered to students by the Sangam College of Nursing and Health Care Education campus in Labasa.

Director of Nursing, Suman Lata Raman, said the studies would broaden the knowl­edge of nurses on how to manage and effi­ciently collaborate between other peers and patients in their service delivery.

Ms Raman said it was a proud moment for the nursing fraternity and its students that this programme was now available at their doorstep in the friendly town.

She said the course would be taken online and allow full-time nurses an opportunity to upgrade their qualifications, without hin­drance to their work environment.

There are six units in the prescribed course and classes begin on August 15 on a trimester basis.

There are 43 students enrolled in the pro­gramme, however, these numbers are expect­ed to increase with the cut-off date on August 15.

Ms Raman said the course was an integral and compulsory qualification that nurses had to attain if they wanted to pursue the po­sition of Nursing Director.

Chairman of the Academic Staff Board at the College, Amraiya Naidu, said the pro­gramme represented the new direction that the college had undertaken to uplift the course profile of its nursing studies.

Mr Naidu said leadership was vital at all levels of management and in the nursing profession, adding that it built team morale and created a conducive environment for staff, which would maximise efficiency and medical excellence.

“No individual was born with immediate leadership qualities and these skills were something learnt progressively,” he said.

“Empowering the next generation of nurs­ing leaders plays a vital part in uplifting the nursing standards.”

Mr Naidu said subordinate nurses needed nurse leaders to act on their actions and dic­tate things as they happened.

“Many times, the subordinate says, please don’t tell, show me what I have to do”.

“Being in a leadership position does not rule out guidance, as, through collaboration, one succeeds in their nursing duties,” he stated.

The college, which was established in 2005 in Labasa, has contributed immensely to the nursing profession in the country.

More than 600 students with a Bachelor of Nursing Science Degree qualification have graduated and 445 students, during their ear­ly years, have successfully graduated with a Diploma in Nursing as well.

Mr Naidu said their institution had always forged ahead and this was evident when 749 Nursing Diploma holders enrolled and grad­uated from the bridging programme in 2016, with a Bachelor of Nursing Science (Post Registration qualification).

Mr Naidu understood that these nurses would have to juggle work, family and stud­ies, but this programme presented an oppor­tunity to upgrade their understanding of the leadership and management aspects of nurs­ing.

Students applaud programme inception

Dreketi Health Centre registered nurse and first cohort student of the PG leadership course, Shradha Mala, said her interest in learning more about the nursing profession inspired her to enrol.

With the competitive nature of the profes­sion, she said it was a must that nurses up­grade and be on par with other nurses’ quali­fications.

“For a rural health centre like Dreketi, my studies would help my team to perform bet­ter in the management of the centre and its patients.”

Another nurse and programme enrolee, Vani Dauvere, said initially she had decided to enrol at another campus for a similar pro­gramme.

Expectations high to recommence En­rolled Nursing studies programme

Mr Naidu said they expect to restart the Enrolled Nursing programme as per the re­quest by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

They had graduated 27 students from the first cohort, and this was done to ensure these students acted as ward assistants and carried out the patient cleaning and chang­ing activities.

This was initiated to free the regis­tered nurses to concentrate more on the health delivery of their patients.

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