By Axel Patsch
On April 14th, 2011, the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Coast celebrated the inauguration of the Association of University Nursing Programs-Ghana. Chairman of this event with the motto „promoting excellence in nursing and midwifery through higher education“ was Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, vice-chancellor of UCC.
On April 14th, 2011, the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Coast celebrated the inauguration of the Association of University Nursing Programs-Ghana. Chairman of this event with the motto „promoting excellence in nursing and midwifery through higher education“ was Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, vice-chancellor of UCC.
The members of the association who's head is Dr. Mate Siakwa, head of the UCC Department of Health sciences, come from universities from all over Ghana.
After Prof. Opoku-Agyemangs welcome address and several solidarity messages Ms Victoria Bam, Head of the Health Department at KNUST, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Jemima Dennis Antwi. Dr. Antwi is the Regional Advisor for Anglophone Africa representing the International Confederation of Midvives.
Dr. Antwi started her speech with a quote from the American automobile producer Henry Ford, who once stated: „coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success“ to wish the young association success, hoping that it will grow through the years and strengthen education and impact knowledge and professional development.
After describing the jobs first, Dr. Antwi pointed out the challenges to education of nurses and midwives:
- weak or non-existent regulation to guide education and practice
- Few and aged tutors who may not meet the accreditation requirements
- Young, enthusiastic professionals that have been deployed to schools to teach but lack the skills necessary to teach students
- Too many students for limited health facilities for practical training
- Limited or lack of committed preceptors
- Weak linkage between theory and practice
- Non-standardized curricula, not based on ICN or ICM competencies or global standards
- Limited career advancement tor tutors
She then started reflecting on the concept of Excellence, which she said, reflects brilliance, distinction, superiority and quality and then quoted the Ghanaian preacher and entrepreneur Dr. Mensah Otabil: „Excellence is an antidote to limitation. It means going beyond the mark“.
To achieve excellence the university nursing and midwifery programs must seek for
- Innovation
- Robust Education
- Achieving global standards
- Periodic curricula review to address gaps and changes
- Advocate for a strong and competent nursing and midwifery faculty
- Promotion of research
- Strengthening of regulatory mechanisms
- Continual program evaluation
- Preperation for employment for excellence
- creation and maintenance of management information systems
- opening of researched-based projects within the departments and colleges
Dr. Antwi closed her speech by saying that to achieve excellence ASNUP will need to reflect on the past role of higher educational systems. She also stressed that although the midwives are not part of the associations name and are sometimes seen as a part of nursery, midwifery is a profession on its own.
After Dr. Antwi's speech, Dr. Mate Siakwa, the head of the newly founded association had a few words by introducing the members of ASNUP and himself. The event was closed by a vote of thanks by Minerva Kyei Nimako, a representative of the UCC nursery students.
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