HND Programme Introduced In St. Francis Nursing School

By Elvis Tah

Saint Francis School of Nursing and Midwifery has been transformed into a Higher Institute of Nurses and Midwifery, following an authorisation from the Ministry of Higher Education to run the Higher National Diploma, HND, programme.



Graduating Nurses taking oath

This pronouncement was made by the school Administrator, Francisca Biaka, during the graduation ceremony of the 8th and 2nd batches of some 105 State Enrolled Nurses and 19 Nursing Assistants of the institution, Friday, November 16.

Throwing more light about the institution, the Public Relations Officer, Singe Ikome Otto, said the Ministries of Public Health, Employment and Vocational Training and Higher Education approved the school.

He said the school operates a dispensary known as Saint Veronica Clinic within the vicinity. According to him,The school hitherto had one and two-year programmes for the training of Nursing Assistants and State Enrolled Nurses respectively, and now the HND is a 3-year programme.

"The HND programme encompasses four specialties: Nursing, Laboratory Sciences, Nutrition and Psychiatrics," said Otto.He said plans are afoot to introduce another cycle to train registered nurses specialised in Reproductive Health.

Professional Ethics

Meanwhile, A former student of the school, Pamela Chiakain Newu, in a validation speech to the graduating students, exhorted the budding nurses to uphold their professional ethics.
"Your primary duty is to save lives and not the quest for money. Let your professional ethics be your watchword," she said.

According to Chiakain, the patient is the king of the hospital, " without the patient, there is no nurse"."In the field, you are going to meet patients that are non-compliant to treatment, there would be life endangering emergencies that would require your immediate intervention.

You will be tempted to give preferential treatment to some clients on the basis of tribal origin, social class, financial weight, family members and so on. But remember that your professional ethics should be your watchword," she cautioned.

While congratulating the budding nurses, the Principal of the Institution, William Dewingong Foreke, told them that the doors for advancing in the profession are wide opened. He condemned truancy and malingering, perpetuated by some recalcitrant students, which according to him, usually result in their disqualification during promotion or certificate examinations.

The graduating students swore to uphold the principle of "A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body". In accordance to the principle, they swore to understand that the physical body is sick if the mind is sick; that they shall do nothing to hurt the feelings of their patients and to uphold in dignity, the ethics of their profession and of man…

Bessi Epombang came out overall best State Enrolled Nurse, while Jennet Bakoma was the best Nursing Assistant.Francisca Biaka, attributed the successes of the students and the strides of the institution to all and sundry. She paid special homage to the founder of the institution, Dr. Francis Tonye Biaka, for his inspirational initiative, which, according to her, is a contribution to nation building.