Training for nurses to start at diploma level

Nurses will have a diploma as the minimum education — instead of a certificate — if a recommendation by the Nursing Council is adopted.

Speaking in Nairobi during the launch of a report on the status of nursing yesterday, the Nursing Council of Kenya chair Everlyne Rotich said there was need for nurses to be more qualified to match the needs of the sector.

She said: “We are liaising with the government to consider diploma as the minimum level. Training of certificate-level has decreased greatly as Kenya upgraded the majority of their nurses to diploma-level registered nurses. However, the certificate holders still comprise 39.2 per cent of Kenya’s nurses.”

The Publication, Kenya Nursing Workforce Report, 2012, shows that some 9,179 nurses started training between 2003 and 2007. Of these, two out of 10 started certificate programmes, while seven of 10 took diploma programmes. One per cent pursued a degree programme.

“In order to promote health, prevent the spread of disease, and offer quality care, Kenya must ensure that its nursing workforce is well regulated and composed of licensed professionals that are strategically deployed and equitably distributed at each level of care,” she added.

Nurses in Kenya are trained at three levels, certificate (an enrolled nurse), diploma (a registered nurse) and degree (Bachelor of Science in Nursing — BScN).

As of mid-2013, the council has approved 83 nursing training institutions in 30 of Kenya’s 47 counties.

Mr William Maina of the Ministry of Health notes that “the country currently has 109 health workers per 100,000 people. This is a stark contrast to international standards of 235 nurses per 100,000.
Therefore, there is need for not only the number of nurses but also of the quality of their service delivery, hence the need for professional development.”

The report recommends recruitment of 20,000 more nurses and continuous training to build their capacity.