The education of nursing and midwifery students requires a balance of theory and practice. The clinical placement is one way to foster the integration of theory and practice.
In an effort to streamline the clinical placement system for the training of student nurses and midwives, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana in partnership with the Regional Health Directorates, Principals of Nursing and Midwifery training schools and Nurse Managers have adopted a new paradigm for clinical placement.

The new paradigm is to ensure that high standards and quality of nurses and midwives were not compromised at any time in their practical training. Under the new paradigm, the Council and its partners have agreed that in order to avoid overcrowding of students in the various health facilities, Principals and Nurse Managers will develop and adopt a clinical attachment schedule policy for all schools and clinical facilities.

According to Mrs. Philomina Woolley, Head of Examination who spoke on behalf of the Registrar of the Council during a stakeholders workshop organized for Principals and Nurse mangers in the Eastern region, all schools should plan their academic calendar such that whiles some students are in school others will be at the clinical wards undergoing practical training.

Mrs. Woolley said when the new system is fully implemented , it would be helpful to both patients and students because the patients would have a serene environment to have sufficient rest for healing processes to take place, while overcrowding which was also a hindrance to students acquisition of clinical learning experience would be eliminated.

Mrs. Wolley said the Council will continue to collaborate with hospitals and training institutions to set levels of standards in all training institutions, hospitals and other facilities.

To ensure the smooth implementation of the new paradigm, a five member committee including Principals, Clinicians and officers from the Regional Health Directorate has been constituted in all the regions.

Nursing and Midwifery Students in the various training institutions have commended the Council and its partners for their effort and support to ensure that standards of training and practice of nursing and midwifery were maintained or improved.

Source: NMC