[ 2012-06-15 ]

Sack student nurses who refuse to write mock exams - Bagbin
The Minister of Health, Mr Alban Bagbin, has
ordered heads of health training institutions to
dismiss any nursing student who refuses to write
mock examinations. The mock exams are organised
by schools to prepare the students for their final
licensure examination conducted by the Nurses and
Midwifery Council (NMC).

Speaking at the annual selection and performance
review meeting of health training institutions in
Kumasi, Mr Bagbin said the health sector needed
disciplined and dedicated staff, and would not
countenance any form of indiscipline from the
students.

“If any student resists taking mock examination,
dismiss them. We will not tolerate any
indiscipline,” Mr Bagbin said. “We will not pamper
anybody.”

The Health Minister was reacting to a submission
by Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Health
Training Institutions (COHHETI), Mr James Yambor,
about the refusal of some students to take the
mock examinations. According to Mr Yambor, the
mock examination was a way of reducing failures
recorded by nursing students in their final
examinations.

Last year, for instance, less than 40 per cent of
the 3,223 nursing students who wrote the licensure
examination passed to practise as nurses.

Out of the total figure, 1,254 candidates –
representing 38.9 per cent – passed the exams. The
remaining 1,969 – representing 61.1 per cent –
were referred to rewrite the August 2011
examination. The students, who came from about 100
health training institutions in the country,
undertook four programmes in Registered General
Nursing, Registered Midwifery, Registered
Community Nursing and Registered Mental Nursing.

Mr Yambor told The Finder in an interview that
the students were part of the reason for the mass
failure and steps, such as the mock examination,
were some measures put in place to stem the tide
of failure. But some students refused to write the
exams.

At the Koforidua Nursing and Midwifery Training
School, only two out of the 135 regular final year
students wrote the mock examination last year,
according to Mrs Doreen Osae-Ayensu, the principal
of the school.

Mr Alban Bagbin told the principals that
government was doing its part to enhance quality
training in the health training institutions, but
urged the students and the training institutions
to do their part of the bargain.

He catalogued a number of projects that were
initiated since 2009 to address infrastructural
deficits in schools. He also named 13 health
training institutions that would benefit from the
construction of new classroom facilities in order
to enhance learning. The projects, which he said
would cost GH₵20.5million, would take off
this year.

Mr Bagbin announced that the Ministry had
initiated a National Research Programme for Health
Training Institutions (NRPHTI), under which
creative tutors would be awarded grants to enable
them to conduct research, starting May, 2013.

The President of COHHETI, Mr James Yambor, was
full of gratitude to government for prioritising
the needs of health training institutions and the
health sector in general. He said the 250
vehicles, including bigger capacity buses, which
were recently distributed to the training
institutions, were not only helpful for
administrative purposes, but they also made it
possible and easier to transport students to
various locations for clinicals and other learning
purposes.

Source - The Finder

... go Back