Training of  Nurses in Ghana

The Ministry of Health (MOH) runs different training programmes in the country to prepare personnel for the provision of quality health care to the people living in Ghana

The Registered General Nursing programme prepares the individual to give general nursing care in the hospitals and in the community. It is a six-semester (three year) programme. 

During the last decade, the MOH expanded all existing health training institutions and set up new institutions and programmes. Even though efforts were made to expand the training institutions; much more needs to be done in terms of infrastructure to meet increasing intake.

The policy of the MOH to increase the number of graduates together with strengthening capacities in most of the health training institutions has resulted in a 50% increase in admissions into health training institutions. Despite these gains in recent years, the capacities of the health training institutions to train sufficient numbers to meet national requirements remains inadequate in terms of physical infrastructure, logistics, and teaching staff, as well as funding.

The Nursing Training College students face unique financial circumstances often leading to financial stress and anxiety. Students face tuition rate that are rising faster than general inflation. Entry into Nursing Training College for students from poor background is an opportunity to change their economic status at a personal and family level but this becomes difficult to achieve when their economic conditions impact on their ability to achieve academic success.

Without appropriate and adequate financial funding, students who come from financially challenged households might never be able to achieve academic success or change the negative cycle of poverty. For this reason, FOOV will want to get involve to support the brilliant students who are in need to be able to enter, stay and complete their nursing programme without much stress.