The Council, under powers given to it by act of parliament, approves training institutions, sets the syllabus, administers the final exams and certifies nurses in Kenya.
The numerous and emerging opportunities have enabled Nelly Njoroge to further her studies by upgrading from a certificate to the diploma level. She is currently enrolled at Egerton University, pursuing a diploma as a Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse (KRCHN).
“I did my certificate at Tumu Tumu PCEA nursing school and then I was posted by the Government to Mandera hospital,” said Nelly.
After one year, she applied for the diploma and was accepted at the Nakuru campus. She is due to sit her final exams in June.
Nelly is among the thousands of nurses who are sharpening their skills by enrolling in nursing schools across the country, and some, online. AMREF, through a web based upgrade course, has helped the transition of over 2000 certificate nurses to the diploma level.
Perhaps the most advanced of the entry-level options, however, is at one of the oldest nursing schools in Kenya, the Cicely McDonell School of Nursing. The School was established in 1956 as the training arm of The Nairobi Hospital. With only five students at the time, it is now admitting 60 students every year during the March and September intake. The nursing school offers a three year diploma to become a Kenya Registered Nurse (general option). Until recently, the Cicely McDonell School was the only institution offering this option. The other option, (KRCHN), is the common course offered by other training schools.
“The difference is KRCHN put’s emphasis in community health and midwifery. The KRN diploma is for bedside practice,” says Mrs. Rose Omutanyi, Principle of Cicely McDonell School of Nursing.
Mrs. Omutanyi clarifies that bedside practice is best suited for hospital or clinical rounds as opposed to community-focused KRCHN.
Nonetheless, it is the government sponsored Medical Training Colleges that have supplied government and mission hospitals with the bulk of nurses and other medical personnel.
A minimum average grade of C is required for entry into the nursing schools, with passes in sciences and languages.
“Immediately the students are admitted, the school is required to submit the names of the new students to the (nursing) council for indexing,” said Mrs. Omutanyi.
Indexing helps both medical institutions and the general public to know bona fide nursing students, and after graduation, legitimate nurses. The council sends training materials to students including a syllabus. Three quarters of the classes are practical, requiring students to be in the hospital wards getting a hands-on experience in the medical field.
At Cicely McDonell , “after every three months of intensive theory lecturers, students are placed under an experienced registered nurse in the (Nairobi) hospital,” says the Principal.
“They are rotated in different departments to gain an all-rounded experience.”
Among the classes that students have to attend and pass include; anatomy, physiology, community health, administration courses and ward management. At the tail end of the diploma course, students sit for the final college exam before they can register for the Council’s national exam, which is usually administered in January and July.
However, both public and private universities are also now offering more advanced options again, in the form of degrees and masters in nursing.
Yet, according to Mrs. Omutanyi, the demand for health professionals in the country far outstrips the supply. This can partly be explained by the relative high cost of training a nurse, which is nearly Sh1.5 million for the three years. The Cicely McDonnel nursing school charges Sh180,000 per year, while students at KMTC pay Sh150,000.
But the continuing nursing shortages have also persisted because many qualified nurses are then offered jobs elsewhere in the world, and do not stay in Kenya.
“Kenya’s nurse/patient ratio is one nurse for every 50 patients, while the recommended should be one for every six,” said the University of Nairobi trained nurse.
In the fact of such continuing understaffing, most nurses get jobs almost immediately after the Council officially recognizes them as registered nurses. And Nairobi hospital, itself, absorbs almost all graduates of the Cicely McDonell School of Nursing.
At the same time, due to the continuous improvement in the local training of nurses by the Council and other players, Kenya has emerged as a hub for quality training, attracting students from as far as the DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
“This year, we have 17 students from Rwanda, seconded and sponsored by the main referral hospital in Kigali,” said Omutanyi.
For graduates from KMTC and other nursing schools, the Government, being the single biggest employer, pays between Sh20,000 – Sh25,000 for beginner nurses. Some private hospitals may pay slightly more, depending on their staffing policy.
But nursing, and the medical field in general, is a 24 hour profession. Nurses can be on their feet for as long as 20 hours, working under pressure. Most hospitals organize their staff around shifts so that patients are given adequate care, round the clock.
“Most people think nurses just give medicine. It’s more than that. Having a receptive attitude is important in nursing,” said Mrs. Omutanyi.
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