International Nursing Conference held in Dr. MV Shetty College of Nursing

Pics by John V. Tauro
Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 22 July 2012: Advocacy, coupled with government support and participation of nursing professions, is the key to improving nursing education, said M. Prakashamma, Director, Academy of Nursing Studies, at the two-day international conference on “Globalisation of nursing: securing key competencies” held here on Friday.

At the conference which sought to strategize the elevation of nursing in India to global standards, she faulted the deteriorating quality of nursing education in the country as being a product of the Government’s apathy.

 

“In the 1980s, as there was a strong demand for ANM (Auxiliary Nurse-Midwife) personnel, a large number of colleges were opened. However, there was no focus on quality. By shortening the course to 1.5 years, the quality of education imparted to ANM aspirants had reduced. Nothing changed after that even with the opening of new courses. For example, the GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) course offered here is not recognised in most countries,” said Ms. Prakashamma.

The gap in training imparted could be offset if more nursing professionals practiced in colleges or offered their experiences during the training, she said. Quality in education was needed to tackle the acute nursing shortage seen in both developing and developed countries, she said.

“While the demand for nursing education is still strong in developing countries, it is low in developed countries.
Handling of human resources in the profession is crucial,” added Ms. Prakashamma.
The conference, organised by Dr. M.V. Shetty college of Nursing as a part of its silver jubilee celebrations, was inaugurated by D. Dharmaiah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic), Mangalore City Police.

-The Hindu