Nursing Training in Ghana: What’s Involved? (2023)

Nursing Training in Ghana has seen several improvements since the last decade. In the early 2000s, most nurses that trained in Ghana migrated to countries abroad in search of greener pastures.

The lack of adequate training facilities, poor salaries, and the dwindling value on the nursing profession contributed to the exodus.

With a view of revamping the nursing profession, the government placed a ban on nurses moving out of the country and sponsored the education of nurses willing to work in the country for 5 years. Training facilities were also made available and the nursing profession became lucrative once again.

nursing training in ghana

Today, there are many nursing training schools in Ghana that teach nurses how to perform their duties and responsibilities.

In this article, we are going to look at what it takes to become a nurse in Ghana and the training process you’ll have to pass through to become a registered nurse.

Who is a Nurse?

Nurses are professionals that have graduated from a nursing program and met the minimum requirements outlined by the government to obtain a nursing license. They assist doctors and health care professionals in hospitals, outpatient facilities, and medical organizations.

They mostly care for patients and ensure that their needs are meant until they recover. Geriatric nurses take care of patients, also they tend to the needs of aging and elderly people.

Types of Nurses

Nurses can be classified based on their level of qualification and based on the type of work they do. Below is a classification of nurses based on their qualification.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): Licensed practical nurses are nurses that hold a diploma in practical nursing. These nurses work closely with registered nurses to gain experience before advancing their careers. LPNs can move on to become registered nurses by acquiring a bachelor’s degree.
Registered Nurse (RN): Registered Nurses are the main nurses charged with taking care of patients and ensuring that their needs are met.
Nurse Midwife (APRN): Nurse-midwives provide family planning, prenatal and obstetric care. These nurses serve as caregivers for women and their newborns. They also provide education on wellness, nutrition, and disease prevention to mothers and babies. These nurses usually have a Master’s degree or higher level of education.
Nurse Practitioners: These nurses are at the top of the chain. They provide advanced health care in health care centers.

Duties of a Nurse

Below are the specific duties of a nurse in most health care centers, clinics, hospitals, and medical organizations in Ghana.

In Ghana, nurses are required to:

Record a patient’s medical history
Record symptoms of the illness
Monitor a person’s health
Record improvements/signs during patient care
Diagnose and test patients
Help patients prevent diseases and illnesses.
Help treat minor health problems
Advocate for human well-being
Administer/prescribe medicines to a patient
Help people get educated about different diseases, illnesses, and their prevention and treatment.
Manage the physical needs of a patient.
Work as an operator of the medical equipment.
Support and help the patient
Give recommendations regarding a healthy lifestyle

Nursing Training in Ghana: What’s Involved?

The type of nursing training usually depends on the institution, the facilities of the institution, and the type of nursing program the interested applicant signs up for.

Nurses are trained to take care of patients, provide health education to patients, check their vitals, and make sure the patient recovers.

Nurse training in a university usually commences within the school premises for the first year. As the student progress, they get introduced to hospitals and health care centers where they are taught how to take care of patients in real life.

Nursing exams are usually tasking as the nurse is expected to know a lot of health care protocols and have knowledge of drugs, how drugs work, and how to administer drugs to patients.

Some exams are practical and require the nurses to take care of a certain patient for a certain period of time. The performance of the nurse is assessed and a score is given.

Nurses who are able to pass through the training successfully go on to get registered and licensed to work in health care centers in Ghana.

Salary of Nurses in Ghana

Most Nurses in Ghana earn about $400 per month or less. This amount is before taxes and most nurses take a lesser paycheck after deductions. Considering the rising costs of living, this amount might not be able enough for most nurses to cater to their needs. This pushes them to other countries.

Fortunately, several promising measures have been put in place to give nurses the recognition they deserve. The profession still remains on the most respected and sought-after profession in Ghana with more than 20,000 nurses already practicing in all the regions of the country.

Nursing Schools In Ghana

There are several nursing schools in Ghana which are not only accredited but possess the qualified professionals and teaching facilities that are required to train capable nurses. Some of these nursing schools include

Holy Family Nurses and Midwifery Training Colleges

The following courses are offered in this college

General nursing
Community health nursing
Health informatics
Environmental health
Therapy course

Koforidua Nurses and Midwifery Training College

Koforidua training college offers the following courses

Health Assistant Clinical
Community Health Nursing
Midwifery
General Nursing
Mental Nursing
Critical Care Nursing

37 Military Hospital Nurses Training College

37 Military Hospital offers the following courses

Health services management
Educational administration
Sociology
Psychology
Biological sciences
Nutrition & dietetics
Obstetric nursing – midwifery
General medicine
Public health nursing

Bole Community Health Nurses’ Training College

Courses offered in this training college include

Community health nursing
Public health
General nursing
Psychology
Critical care nursing
Environmental health
Dentistry

Kumasi Nurses and Midwifery Training School

Ophthalmic Nursing
Peri-Operative Nursing
ENT Nursing
Public Health Nursing
Critical Care Nursing

Prices Ghana