It is imperative to note that health care provision requires practitioners to possess appropriate knowledge, skills and attitude to respond and adapt to current and future health priorities and needs. These current and rapidly changing challenges also facing the Nursing Education Programme necessitated the development and the on-going implementation of the Nursing education reform.
Students Nurses of today are the registered Nurses tomorrow. They can only put into practice whatever they have learnt. We therefore, owe these students the duty of teaching them adequately, and to prepare them for future challenges. Review of the school’s curriculum will
Provide the foundation for producing nurses that are well- equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitude to face the dynamic society. Active participation of schools in both the community and Hospital Services is essential for the student’s sound clinical experience.
AIM : The aim of this curriculum is to prepare competent polyvalent nurse practitioners who will use solving skills in providing safe, acceptable, effective and affordable health services to meet the health needs of individuals, families and the community at all levels of care.
VISION STATEMENT
To train a Nurse who will play an expanded role in rendering services within and outside the hospital as well as coping with the challenges of the dynamic nature of the society.
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide students with a sound knowledge that is aimed at developing cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills in the provision of quality and holistic client care.
PHILOSOPY OF NURSING
- The curriculum is based on the philosophy that the essential purpose of nursing is to achieve better health for the individual and the dynamic nature of the society. Such Nursing services, as outlined in the philosophy above are based on the following premises:
- Man is biological, spiritual, social and psychological individual unit whose needs are an inherent part of his nature and therefore is affected by factors within his environment.
- Nursing is primarily concerned with human life, the quality of the health of the individual, family, group or community. Nursing is directed towards the achievement of better health and consequently as a practice profession, must be firmly based on knowledge derived from biological, physical and behavioural science relevant to the understanding of human nature.
- Health is an integral part of the overall development of man. Therefore, factors which influence health are socio-cultural, biological and environmental in nature.
- Health care with emphasis on primary health care is fundamentally related to the availability, accessibility and affordability of both health and socio-economic resources.
- Nurses, as human beings, exist and share the same nature, humane and basic needs as the clients/patients. The nurse practitioner has acquired nursing knowledge, skills, attitude and ethics to provide safe and effective health care.
- The client is capable of reasoning and he possesses basic ideas, beliefs and values which guide his actions. He is an active partner in the nursing care process and participates in critical decision making regarding his care and environment.
- Nursing Education is a systemic direction and guidance of the student in an institution approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
- Continuing Education is a continuous process of educational development aimed at enhancing professional growth, competency and efficiency in achieving effective health care at all levels. Hence, knowledge should be updated through self-directed learning and the regular participation in continuing education programmes.
COMPETENCIES OF A NURSE
The competencies of a nurse who is a graduate of the general Nursing Education Programme include the ability to:
- Utilize nursing process in the health care of the individual, family and the community.
- Assess client/patient through history taking, physical assessment, review of relevant records and listing of appropriate actual and risk nursing diagnosis.
- Assess community through data gathering and identifying health needs to arrive at community diagnosis.
- Plan for individual nursing diagnosis/problems and family health needs for the attainment and maintenance of health status.
- Assume responsibility and plan for delivery of dependent, independent and interdependent activities.
- Implement necessary nursing actions to minimize individual problems through holistic and client/family centred approach in homes, community and health care institutions.
- Interpret basic laboratory and radiological results
- Evaluate care through stated objectives to ascertain effectiveness of nursing actions and health rendered in homes, communities and health care institutions.
- Establish and maintain a two way referral system
- Develop strategies for health education needs of client/patient and families in homes, communities and health care institutions.
- Diagnose and treat simple medical and surgical conditions by utilizing available resources within the homes, community and Hospital setting to achieve maximum provision of health care.
- Provide rehabilitative services to individuals and families to enable the client/patient adapt to changing conditions.
- Demonstrate assertiveness in the management of health care for client/patient in homes, community and health care institutions.
- Participate in formulating health plan and policies for the community.
- Initiate and participate in the development of recording and reporting systems, maintaining analysis and utilizing the collected data.
- Assist in budgeting, managing and auditing the accounting system of primary health care.
- Develop methods in follow-up of clients.
- Organize and implement educational programmes for community-based workers (CBW) and nursing students.
- Manage essential drugs by evolving an effective monitoring and cost of recovery system.
- Promote work discipline by providing adequate motivation for health workers
- Initiate and carryout research to improve practice and develop new techniques to meet health needs of the people.
- Collaborate with other researchers and develop new techniques for practice
- Utilize research findings for evidence-based practice
BROAD OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
At the end of the General Nursing Education Programme, the student will:
- Apply the knowledge of Biological, Behavioural and Nursing Sciences in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care.
- Utilize the nursing process as a framework for providing comprehensive nursing care to individuals and groups in the community and all health care settings.
- Establish positive working relationship with individuals, family and the community and motivate them towards self-reliance in matters of health protection, promotion, maintenance and rehabilitation.
- Function independently and in collaboration with other members of the health team and related sectors in planning, delivering and evaluating health services with emphasis on reproductive health.
- Supervise the clinical experience of student nurses, midwives psychiatric/mental and public health nurses as well as allied health workers in all clinical settings.
- Counsel and provide family planning services in homes, hospitals and communities.
- Apply principles of primary health care in providing comprehensive continuous and holistic care in homes, schools and health care institutions.
- Identify and refer high risk clients to other members of the health team for specialized care.
- Provide a safe physical setting which minimises the pathological stress related to illness.
- Create an atmosphere of trust which allows for meeting the clients/patient’s basic emotional needs.
- To create opportunities for self-expression, acceptance, and self-evaluation. This will give room for clients to cope with the responsibilities commensurate with changing capacities.
- Assist in providing the necessary corrective experiences for the redirection of negative behaviours to achieve personal growth.
- Display tolerance in accepting maladaptive behaviour of the client/patient
- Effectively organize and manage clinics to achieve the goals of health maintenance by utilizing available human and material resources.
- Develop the capabilities for competent Nurse practitioners to effectively provide family planning services in homes, hospitals and community.
- Sensitize, mobilize and educate individuals, families and groups in order to effect positive changes in the reproductive pattern of the community.
- Utilize the knowledge and skills of information, education and communication in improving reproductive health care services.
- Apply management principles in the optimum utilization of human and material resources for health care delivery.
- Update knowledge and maintain professional growth through participation in continuous education programmes.
- Display positive attitudinal behaviour in client/community care and amongst other health team members.
- Contribute to research by assisting in conducting and participating in projects and implementing
- findings geared towards improving health care services and nursing education.
PROGRAMME DISCRIPTION
The Nursing education programme is a six-semester programme (3 years) of study. The courses in the first year of the programme are designated in four digits (representing level, credit load, and semester for the last two digits respectively) with prefix of BGN (Basic General Nursing). The courses in the second and third years of study are designated as that of the first year with same prefix (BGN).
TEACHING METHOD
Tutors shall be integrating theory with related practical demonstration and clinical experiences. All tutors will work with students in the community and act as preceptors. Preferences shall be given to interactional teaching methods. In essence, quality of teaching must be ensured through adequate utilization of the following teaching/learning methods:
- Lecture
- Discussion
- Lecture/Discussion
- Practical demonstration
- Clinical practice
- Group discussion
- Project
- Clinical round
- Field trip
- Role play/Skit
- Group work
- Patient/client care study
- Role modelling
- Tutorial
- Clinical conference
- Problem solving method/techniques
- Team teaching
- JIGSAW methods
- Electronic assisted techniques e.g. video, computer, E-learning System etc.
- Seminar
- Reflective learning (Problem-based learning)