Story of How Nursing Diploma Updraded to BSN Degree

After years of uncertainty about the fate of the diploma, the Pakistan Nursing council has finally abolished the General Nursing Diploma programme. The diploma would be replaced with a bachelor's degree in nursing, Generic BSN. This decision has not been taken suddenly.

Like other diploma programmes in other fields, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had indicated the replacement of the diploma with a degree in 2015. The HEC notification indicated that there would be no admissions in the 3-year diploma after the year 2018. The period of about three years was given so that all the stakeholders could make preparations for replacing the diploma with Generic BSN degree.

The HEC notification was later followed by a notification by PNC. In a letter issued in 2016, PNC had also declared that the diploma programme will not be continued after the year 2018 and made further clarification that the batches inducted in the year 2018 will duly pass out in the year 2021.

Despite clear instructions by HEC and PNC, some spheres of people with vested interests consistently resisted the change while others started serious efforts to prepare themselves for the change. Moreover, the president of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, addressing the First Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Summit pledged that the diploma programme would be replaced by the BSN degree.

Finally, PNC has issued a letter to all concerned departments on 19th March 2019 for stopping admissions in the diploma programme.

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