By Maimuna Sey-Jawo
At least a total number of 138 students have over the weekend graduated at The Foundation School to General Nursing/Nurse Attendant Training in Sukuta after completing 6 months training course on nursing.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the school premises, the director and the founder of the training school, Madam Margaret Gomez, said the school started operating in July 17th 2017 with a total number of 138 students, adding that 92% of the first batch are females, thus the six months training is both theoretical and practical.
According to her, the training is aimed at inculcating discipline in the students so that they can deliver effective nursing care, bridging the acute human resource gap affecting health care delivery system in the country among other things.
Director Gomez further said the training programme is divided into five modules, namely; introduction to the course, anatomy and physiology, medical and surgical nursing, obstetric, gynae and pediatric nursing and management.
She added that during the training course students were normally allocated to new Serekunda General Hospital, Serekunda Health Centre, Bakau health centre, Fajikunda Health Centre, Bundung Maternal and Child Hospital, Brikama District hospital and Tanka -Tanka Psychiatric Hospital.
“On the 8th January 2018 these graduates sat to their final exams and 95% pass the final exams with 4% pass and 1% failed. They both have done a resit and have now passed,” she stated.
Madam Gomez congratulated them and advised them to exercise patience. She thanked the health minister for being supportive and considering nursing education as a priority.
Mrs. Fanta Bai Secka Director of Department of Social Welfare was the Guest Speaker of the ceremony.
She urged them to be hardworking and continue advancing their knowledge in the field.
Mrs. Secka lauded Margaret Gomez for the initiative while speaking on the important role nurses play in the development of the health sector.
Marie Bass, a senior nurse in Bundung who doubles as the chairperson of the occasion, urged the nurses to utilize the knowledge wisely and learn more to become professionals.
The programme ended with prizes given to the deserving students. The family of the late Sally Cham, a former student of the school who lost her life in a car accident during her practical, was also posthumously awarded.
