General Nursing Council Zambia Decentralization, Abridgement Programmes
Many things have been achieved by Government through the General Nursing Council of Zambia (GNCZ) of late, both administratively and technically. Among them is the GNC Job Evaluation and the notching system which has introduced performance related pay (PRP) policy for GNCZ management and staff. Furthermore, introduction and implementation of the GNCZ decentralisation policy, fast truck abridging of Enrolled Nurses to Registered Nursing, development of the Diploma and Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree curriculum for Oncolgy Nursing, Revision and development of the Nursing Students Rules, Professional Conduct and Disciplinary Code, Inspection Manual, Complaints and Case Handling Manual, Compliants and Case Handling Flow Chart. Other milestones are the revision of the Operating Theatre Nurses Diploma Curriculum, HIV Nurse Practitioners Curriculum including the re-introduction and training of Public Health Nurses. Work and discussions currently in progress include the revision of the Nurses and Midwifery Act No. 31 of 1997, Introduction of Trauma and Emmergency Care Nursing training programme and Online students indexing, practitioners Registration and licensing services. Furthermore, comprehensive renovation of the GNCZ Offices, just to mention, but a few.
However, for today we just want to share a few facts about decentralisation of GNCZ offices and operations as well as the abolishment of EN training, and introduction of fast truck abridging programme for ENs. We shall share details on other developments later.
1. DECENTRALISATION: GNCZ has started decentralisation of its offices and operations. As a starting point, despite the huge cost implication associated with decentralisation, the first ever regional offices are opening in Kitwe this coming month of February 2018. Mr. James MESA (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist) to be assisted by Ms. Angela Shinka (Personnal Assistant to the Registrar) have already been transferred from GNCZ head office to Kitwe in readiness for the official launch and opening of the GNCZ Copperbelt Regional Offices. The GNCZ Copperbelt regional office will also be responsible for all GNCZ technical activities for North-Western and Luapula Provinces. So Copperbelt, North-Western and Luapula Province based nurses and midwives be on the look out for the GNCZ products and services now brought nearer to your homes.
2. ABOLISHMENT OF ENROLLED NURSING TRAINING PROGRAMME AND INTRODUCTION OF THE FAST TRUCK EN ABRIDGING PROGRAMME. During the graduation ceremony of Enrolled Nurses (ENs) at Kalene School of Nursing in October 2017, the Honorable Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya MP, announced abolishment of the training of Enrolled Nurses (EN) in Zambia. Riding on this extremely progressive Government Policy pronoucement, the GNCZ through the Office of the Registrar, Mr. Aaron Banda, quickly moved into action and embarked on an extensive consultative process with the aim to operationalise the Government’s policy pronounce and phase out EN training in Zambia.
It is against this background that GNCZ is now pleased to announce that the Development of the EN abridging curriculum has been successfully completed. This means that, starting July 2018 fast truck convention programme for ENs will start in all public and private nursing Schools that will be found suitable following assessment by GNCZ.
The duration for convention will be one year (1 yr) to one year six months (1yr 6months) depending on an individual EN’s capacity to successfully complete the abridged training within the prescribed training period.
Blended teaching methodology (i.e. combined distance and face to face learning) will be used, and entry requirement into the EN abridged training programme will be an EN Certificate only. However, ENs without 5 O’ Levels will always be encouraged to improve their O’ Levels in order to make themselves easily employable and/or gain ease access to University education.
Format (not type) of the GNCZ qualifying examination will be the same as the current format for Registered Nurses (RN) GNCZ Qualifying Examination.
Last but not the least, GNCZ wishes to challenge all nurses and midwives to take advantage of these opportunities, but above all, to translate and demonstrate the benefits of these innovative undertakings into provision of high quality nursing and midwifery care services to the patients and communities nurses and midwives are trained to serve. Thank you.
