Certificate or degree
programs in nursing typically embrace fundamental patient care skills and
provide students for entry-level nursing jobs. Here, in this article, we'll
find out about the requirements of these programs, and learn about career
opportunities, job growth and wage info for nursing graduates.
Stay back and relax,
as I equip you with information you every need to know about this prestigious
career across the globe.
First, who is a nurse
practitioner? A nurse practitioner is trained to assess patient needs, order
and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, diagnose illness and disease,
prescribe medication and formulate treatment plans. (Wikipedia)
TO BECOME A REGISTERED NURSE IN THE US AN CANADA
There is more than one
way to become a nurse, especially, in the western countries. Let’s consider the
two of the most common ways to become a nurse are to first, become a registered
nurse (RN) or a licensed practical or vocational nurse. These two entry fields
require only undergraduate work in nursing, either through an associate's or
bachelor's degree or through a diploma or certificate program; this is most
particular to the USA and Canada. On the other hand,
HOW TO BECOME A REGISTERED NURSE IN NIGERIA
In Nigeria, there are
three entry to becoming a registered nurse or midwife
1) The 3 year Basic
General Nursing Programme
2) The 3 year Basic
Midwifery Training Programme and
3) The 5-year Generic
BNSc Nursing Programme
One interesting thing
about this is that three entry routes partake the same admission conditions of
five (5) credits courses or subjects that included: English language, Maths,
Biology, Physics and Chemistry in not more than 2 sittings in NEC, WAEC or
related examination board in the country. The only variation is the JAMB terms
for the BNSc programme, indicating you have an option to either go pick up a
form for either the basic nursing/ basic midwifery program or go the additional-mile and sit for JAMB for the BNSc Program.
HOW DOES THE COURSE
GO?
The 5-year BNSc
program is sketched to make you a polyvalent nurse practitioner at the end of
which you graduate with the General Nursing program qualification (RN), the
Midwifery program qualification (RM) and a Bachelors degree in Nursing (BNSc).
The most institution now put an icing on the cake with an extra qualification
in Public health Nursing.
Further studies are
available to a Masters Degree and PhD in nursing in some schools in
Nigeria.
Basic Midwifery
Training curriculum
An explicit major
draw-back to the 3-year basic midwifery course is the truth that even after
passing as a Registered Midwife, most hiring organizations would always demand
a double qualified practitioner, thus you still have to go back for extra 18
months post-basic general nursing course. The truth that most universities do
not accept RM qualification for direct entry purposes is a different huge
challenge.
Basic General
Nursing Programme
For the basic general, the nursing programme, you'll necessitate to hack up an aggregate of or between
#150,000 to N250, 000 (suggested to change over time) for entry fees first of
all. You should also know that the 3-year span isn't inclusive of the 6 months
that you would use in PTS. This 3 years can within the blink of an eye extend
to 4, 5 years in various semblances such as demotion, reproduction, flimsy
suspensions by our greatly SON principals, indexing challenge, exceeded
admission quota by schools, accreditation issues, failure in either of the NMCN
Qualifying exams or Hospital finals etc. The list is limitless.
Even after writing the
NMCN exams, you still get to spend some extra months working in the wards for
"free" in the training hospital pending when the council releases
your final qualifying result. I probably missed out how you can’t quickly apply
for direct entry or go for a post-basic course as there is no specific timeline
as to when the council would release your license and/or notification. Academic
sessions and job opportunities fly by while you wait endlessly on the council.
An essential point you
should comprehend is that the general nursing and basic midwifery programs are
both hospital-based programs with professional licensure and it was only in
October of 2007 that an expert assessors committee accorded the qualifications
obtained therein the same as HND drawing a grade level08 (step 1) for job
purposes only and NOT for academic objectives.
A major advantage
though, of getting an RN qualification either via route 1, 2 or 3 is that it
qualifies you to practice as a nurse abroad. RN qualification is also a solid requirement for more studies in the Nigerian university scheme for direct entry
(DE) into degree programs in philosophy, psychology, social works etc.
The notable
disadvantage here is that the profession at the moment is entangled in a bitter
struggle for the soul of Nursing professionalism. Obtaining a degree in these
beforehand and erroneously marked "degrees allied to Nursing"
according to our statutory regulatory body, NMCN does not qualify one to progress
to the directorate Nursing Cadre. This stance by the NMCN reinforced the
position of the National Council on Establishment (NCE) at its 37th Meeting in
Akure where it stated that "Possession of a first degree in NURSING, not
allied courses is a sine qua non of running the nursing officers cadre.
LUTH management also
reaffirmed this when it declined accepting Masters levels in these "allied
course" obtained by lecturers in its school of Midwifery insisting that
professional progression must be dependent on the acquisition of masters degree
in core Nursing courses for holders of BNSc qualification, not masters in an
allied course. Thus the route may provide an avenue for further degrees in
other professional domains but these degrees outside of Nursing may count for
nothing professionally.
On the long run, the
abysmal remuneration of being a single qualified (RN) nurse would force you to
seek further post-primary qualification which costs an average of another
N250,000 to N300,000 in admission charges. I omitted to add that most post
basic programs would require that you should have practised for at least 2
years before applying; a two-year experience you would gain trolling from one
private hospital to another where you would be overburdened and underpaid.
CONCLUSION
Recognize, this
post-basic qualification is a requirement if you would want to be employed on
GL 08 step 4 instead of step 1 if you had only an RN. What this means is that
you may never get to the peak as your professional growth eliminates abruptly
at grade level 14 and you can only go beyond this on lateral conversion to the
officers' cadre following the attainment of a Nursing degree
By this time, six
years or more would have gone on. You presumably have gotten married with kids
and wishing you went with program 3 (BNSc Nursing). Albeit late, you decide to
start the 4-year university route. If financially lively, you probably enrol in
a neighbouring country like Benin republic, ghana, niger for a BNSc program or
you use another two years battling to get a DE admission to a Nigerian
school.
Reference:
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