by Khalil Ahmed Jatt and Dr Raisa Gul Most of the nursing education institutions, in Pakistan, have been offering 3-year General Nursing Diploma since their establishment. The 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree programme was introduced in the country in 1997 and the first cohort of BScN nurses graduated in 2001. Since then, many nursing institutions (schools or colleges) gradually switched to the degree programme, but the diploma programme was not abolished in the country. The issue of abolishing the diploma became a topic of hot discussion when the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) stopped the nursing institutions to enroll students in the diploma programme in January 2019. Although most of the stakeholders are welcoming this announcement, some are raising their concerns against this move. Some rumours and misconceptions are also circulating in this regard. By distinguishing the facts from the rumours, the stakeholders can contribute towar...
BSN at College of Nursing NICH: A Success Story Needed to be Replicated in Public Sector Nursing Institutes
By: Shabir Hussain The College of Nursing, National Institute of Child Health (CON-NICH), has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first institute under Health Department Sindh to complete 04-Yr Nursing Degree Program with thumping success. Not only did it complete the course on time, but also excelled in education, training, and professionalism at par with other best nursing colleges of Sindh. It is noteworthy that in 2019, when PNMC,the Federal and Provincial Governments phased out the Three-Year General Nursing Diploma and introduced a four-year degree program, all colleges under provincial government management across the country lagged behind by one year without induction. However, Nursing College NICH stood out, achieving the first admission in year 2020. Their first batch of BSN had achieved a 100% passing rate and commenced one year internship. They are now conducting Evidence-Based seminars on final research papers of the second batch of Semester VIII. The...