Two students of UHAS who sat for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) July/August 2022 Licensing Examinations have picked up top awards at this year’s induction ceremony held in Accra. They were adjudged the Overall Best Candidates in Registered General Nursing (RGN) and Registered Midwifery (RM).

The students who distinguished themselves are David Sam-Appiah currently with Prampram Polyclinic in the Greater Accra region and Bushira Ahmed who works with Widana Health Centre in the Upper East region.

The Council’s induction ceremony is sanctioned by Section 55 of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act 2013 for Nursing Assistants, Nurses and Midwives who have satisfied all requirements in completing their Nursing and Midwifery education in Ghana.

Presenting the 43,588 freshly qualified Nursing Assistants, Nurses and Midwives to be inducted, Madam Philomina A.N. Woolley, Acting Registrar, NMC, said “the occasion is understandably a crowning moment and a befitting reward for your years of commitment and sacrifice towards your respective dreams of becoming nurses and midwives”.

She called on the inductees to reflect on their pledges of serving humanity and let it linger on their consciousness in their line of duty as they are being guided by the ethics of the profession.

Professor Victoria Bubunyo Bam, President, Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCMN) and special guest of honour of the ceremony, said the noble field of nursing offered unique opportunities to its practitioners to play vital roles in healthcare delivery. She noted that though the field can be challenging, their success depended largely on their ability to adapt to new situations, thinking critically and teamwork.

She advised them to approach their work with positive mindsets, open mindedness and the willingness to learn and grow. “Learning is a lifelong process and the fields of nursing and midwifery are constantly evolving. It is expected that you will stay current with new researches, technology and use current available evidence for best practices.”

Prof. Bam also admonished the inductees on the responsible use of technology. “Remember that your online presence reflects your professional image.”

Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health, whose speech was read on his behalf via zoom, lauded the nursing and midwifery fraternity on their role in helping achieve universal health coverage in Ghana. He said this has necessitated the Ministry to increase their intake into the nursing and midwifery training colleges to about 30,000.

He therefore pleaded with the inductees to accept postings to hard-to-reach areas as they are expected to bring healthcare to the doorstep of all Ghanaians no matter their location.

Mr. Agyeman-Manu also pleaded with them to exercise patience as government puts in place strategies to resolve outstanding issues with some groups within the profession.