Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy believes that if certain key changes are made in the public health nursing programme the number of challenges it faces would be reduced significantly.
The shortage of qualified tutors which has plagued the programme for sometime now is among the problems he pointed out referring to it as “an issue the system is capable of dealing with if an innovative approach is taken”.
Clarifying this, he said, the curriculum is wide-ranging and includes subjects outside of nursing such as English and Mathematics yet the tutors have always been only nurses. He said that if the services of qualified persons from outside the profession are utilised this would reduce the burden on nursing tutors and increase the number of persons working in the system.
He said there is scope for tutors to come from within the health sector as well since some of the courses could be taught by a doctor. Ramsammy said many things are easier said than done but noted that if the idea is explored the result is likely to have a positive impact.
Additionally he pointed to the academic requirements that are necessary to gain entry into the programme. While he emphasised the need for strict criteria Ramsammy said there are many young persons out there who have expressed an interest in nursing but were unable to get in because they did not pass a particular subject.
The Minister said it might probably take several years before any progress is made in this area. However he is of the opinion that it needs correcting and proposed that requirements could be built into the programme for persons who were unable to secure a pass in one subject.
“We could introduce an element in the programme which makes provision for this so that those who enter without the necessary requirements would first have to do a few compulsory courses before moving onto the next level”.
Ramsammy said there are a few other problems in the nursing programme such as the numbers that are being trained. He said the system has the capacity to train more nurses but greater attention has to be paid to how resources are maximised.
Another area of concern to him has been the request by many persons to have part-time classes. He said it would mean additional persons to train but believes it can be done. Given that there is a coordinated approach in the public health nursing programme he said much more can be achieved.
Migration has been a persistent problem for the programme. He said though they are training more nurses than before persons are still leaving the country. Added to that he said that only the public sector is training nurses but there is also a need in the private sector. “There is migration within the system not only from public to private but from rural to urban areas”, he noted.
Just last year Principal Tutor at the Georgetown School of Nursing, Vashti Hinds raised several issues facing the public health programme and called on government to address them. She said then that more needed to be done to retain the services of highly qualified staff. She had also mentioned a decline in male participation in the programme and pointed to salaries and allowances as crucial areas that need to be addressed.
Ramsammy said he is aware of the dwindling number of males entering the programme, adding that it is something they are looking at very seriously now. He said there was a time when males showed greater interest.
On the issue of salaries and allowances he said government has reviewed the package being offered and feels the nurses deserve what they are asking for but at present it is not possible. He said in time everything will be in place for it to happen.
Duty-free concession is one of the benefits nursing tutors have lobbied for and according to the Minister it is something that could be granted once explored fully. (Iana Seales)
