Nursing professionals in Guyana will be thoroughly monitored to ensure they receive continued clinical training, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has said.
During his daily COVID-19 update on Wednesday, the minister spoke about his recent statutory meeting with the newly formed Nurses and Midwives Council.
The meeting was held on Monday at the Grand Coastal Hotel where many topics concerning the nursing profession were discussed. Dr Anthony said existing laws must be followed thoroughly with the newly formed council expected to enforce them.
“One of the requirements for nurses now is for them to be registered as a practicing nurse, every year they will have to do continuing nursing education so at the end of the year or when they go to do registration for the new year, they will have to show evidence that they have had these continuing nursing education,” the minister said.
It is compulsory that nurses undertake continued nursing lectures and training that will keep them up to date with modern clinical practices.
He importantly noted that although this was always a requirement, “not a lot of people were very compliant and it was not mandatory so now we have made it that way.”
Dr Anthony added that, “The doctors have been doing it so we want to ensure that our nurses are staying in touch with the latest changes in medicine, in terms of education.”
In relation to facilitating programmes that will boost the profession, the minister said his ministry is receiving assistance to create blended – online and in person- training options for nurses.
Previously, the minister said, “Some of you [nurses] would have had training from the WHO [World Health Organization] collaborating Centre in Brazil. We have engaged them and they are right now designing a hybrid programme for Guyana for registered nursing.”
This keeping up with best practice! Excellent