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Tamale, Ghana – A Senior Lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr. Michael Wombeogo, has urged nurse educators in the various nursing and midwifery training colleges across the country to start doing research in their areas of interest for publication.
According to him, there was the likelihood of a sudden policy announcement in the near future that would debar many nurse educators from promotions unless one had some considerable amount of researched publications.
Currently, there is advocacy for the minimum qualification of a nurse to be at the level of a first degree. In view of this push, nurse tutors or educators are also required to have the same qualification as their colleagues in the universities. But unlike lecturers in the universities, nurse educators in colleges are not required to have any research publications in order to be promoted.
In an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the maiden Northern Regional Conference of Nurses Educators Group (NEG), Dr. Wombeogo who is also Head of Department for Nursing at the UDS, said the status quo was not good for the academic prospects of most nurse educators .
“For now, there is no clear mandate that before one tutor can progress in terms of rank the person is supposed to have publications. However, we’re advocating that, that should be the case in future not even for just the tutor but for all nurses. That when you’re a nurse moving from one rank to the other, you should have some publications whether you’re in the academia, clinical or administrative side….A minimum of five or six publications before you can move to the next level in terms of rank is what we’re advocating for.
“For starters, nurse educators should work in a team of three or four to research into an area and come out with an article that can be peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in a journal. Adding knowledge to the body of knowledge in the world and also enhancing their own selves in terms of their professional line, and that can bring a very beautiful image to the profession in which they find themselves in, nursing”, he emphasized.
Dr. Wombeogo warned that, a sudden policy announcement in the near future could just curtail the academic progress of most nurse educators. To avoid such a situation, he urged all nurse educators to act very fast ahead of any such sudden policy announcement by developing serious interest in conducting research for publication.
Under the theme: “NEG Reorganisation Process: Our Collective Responsibility”, the conference brought together nurse educators in all nursing and midwifery training schools across the old Northern Region including Tamale, Kpembi, Nalerigu, Damongo, Bole, Yendi and Gusheigu.
The conference sought to re-examine challenges confronting nurse educators so as to enable members of NEG reorganize themselves and move forward in a formidable manner to achieve a collective goal. It also aimed at prepraring the minds of members ahead of their 2020 biennial delegates’ conference and election of executives.
NEG National Public Relations Officer, Peter Claver Kabriku who represented the National General Secretary, said though the group was formed in 1978 at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, “we are yet to realise our full potentials. Just as any other human organisation, we accept the challenge that we are not well organized especially at both institutional and regional levels”.
He therefore challenged members to accept the responsibility to work tirelessly as a team to improve the current image of NEG.
By SavannahNewsOnline.Com/Philip Liebs
