Are you an aspiring nurse in Punjab, looking to take the first step towards a rewarding career in the healthcare sector? The Directorate General of Nursing Services, Punjab, has some exciting news for you! Applications are now open for admissions to the BSN Generic (4-year degree program) in various institutions across Punjab. With a total of 43 colleges offering this program, you have plenty of options to choose from.   Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible for the BSN Generic (4 Years Degree Program), candidates must meet the following criteria: Qualification: Matric with Science (Physics, Chemistry & Biology as compulsory subjects) F.Sc. (Pre-Medical) with a minimum of 50% marks from any recognized educational board Gender: Only female candidates can apply for admissions. Age: Candidates must be up to 35 years old. Domicile: Candidates must have Punjab Province domicile. Application Process: The application process is quit...

Understanding the nurse-patient ratio according to the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) is crucial for ensuring proper healthcare standards in hospitals across the country.  However, it is important to acknowledge that nurse-patient ratios in many hospitals in Pakistan are currently far lower than the recommended guidelines. In this blog post, we will provide a detailed analysis and breakdown of the official PNC notification on this subject. The official PNC notification on this subject is given below. Official Nurse-Patient Ratio According to Pakistan Nursing Council: The PNC issued a notification (No. PNC F-7-14-Admin/2021/ 3702) on 25th May 2021, outlining the minimum nurse-to-patient ratio for hospitals across Pakistan. The guidelines provided in this notification are as follows:     General Hospital Units: In general hospital units, the nurse-to-patient ratio should be 1:3 beds, which means three nurses for every ten beds, with one reliever nurse for e...

University of Lahore (UOL) has recently announced the promotion of Professor Muhammad Afzal as the Director of Academics of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS). Prof. Afzal has an impressive academic and professional background, which makes him a worthy choice for this new role. Prof. Afzal completed his MS and BS in Nursing from Aga Khan University Karachi in 2008 and 2005, respectively. He also has an MBA in Health Management and an MSc in Hematology. He has over a decade of clinical experience, starting from 1998 to 2009, as a Registered Nurse, Supervisor, Deputy Manager, and Manager at Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi.  Additionally, he has teaching experience as a Senior  Instructor and Deputy Director of Nursing at Saida Waheed FMH College of Nursing. In 2010, he joined the University of Lahore as an Assistant Professor and Principal and has played a vital role in the recognition of BS Nursing (Generic), BS Nursing (Post RN), and MS Nursing. He is also a me...

Updates By Madam Lubna Ghazal and Sir Shabbir Hussain Jathial The Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) Amendment Act 2023 is undergoing critical appraisal through consultative meetings being held under the auspices of the Pakistan Nursing Federation (PNF). The meetings are being attended by nurse leaders from across Pakistan, who are actively contributing towards strengthening the autonomy of the PNMC as a regulatory body for nursing and midwifery professions in the country. The third consultative meeting was conducted in Multan under the leadership of Madam Nighat Durrani, and hosted by Madam Surriya Shahnaz, President of PNA Punjab. Nurse leaders from Southern Punjab attended the meeting, which was facilitated by Mr. Hassan Kansi and Madam Zahida Amjad. The group appraised the PNMC Amendment Act 2023 in comparison to the 1973 Act and discussed ways to strengthen the PNMC and its autonomy. Similarly, the second consultative meeting was held in Lahore on 18th February 2023, w...

The Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), now called Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC), has made two important decisions that are related to appointing heads of nursing institutions from the nursing cadre only.  The first decision, made during the 21st session of the PNC Council Executive Committee in 2016, is that nursing institutions must ensure that their Heads of Nursing Institutions (e.g. Deans, Directors, Principals, etc.) must be from nursing cadre professionals, and not medical doctors or other non-nursing professionals. The committee expressed concern over the appointment of non-nursing professionals in charge of nursing colleges, nursing schools, and public health schools, despite the presence of many qualified nursing professionals in the country.  This decision is in line with the criteria set by the PNC and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), which require that nursing diploma and degree programs are supervised by nursing professionals only. The committee pointed...

The recent appointment of Professor Samina Kaosar as a member of the syndicate of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore is a significant milestone for nursing education in Pakistan. Professor Kaosar, the Head of the Institute of Nursing at UHS, is now authorized to affiliate nursing institutions across Punjab and has a unique opportunity to help reshape the crises-ridden nursing education in the country.  This appointment is particularly noteworthy as Professor Kaosar is the first nursing academic from a public university to be appointed as a member of the syndicate. Her nomination is a recognition of the critical role that nurses play in public health and the need to have their representation in decision-making bodies.  The appointment of Professor Kaosar is not the first time that the recognition of nurses as major stakeholders in public health has been raised. In February 2020, Dr. Rafat Jan and the Director of Nursing Sindh, along with the Vice-Chancellors of public sector...

The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has recently taken several important steps to improve the standards of nursing. One of the most significant steps is the announcement of the schedule for the entrance exam for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. After the release of the schedule, no additional seats will be accepted in nursing colleges for the current academic year.  UHS has also announced a penalty of PKR 1 million for nursing colleges found violating the admission schedule. In addition, nursing institutions offering part-time programs will be shut down and barred from admitting students. The university has made the attendance of bio-metric mandatory for BSN students.  These decisions were taken in the 31st meeting of the UHS Board of Studies in Nursing, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of UHS, Professor Ahsan Waheed Rathore. The meeting was attended by the heads of 47 nursing colleges from across Punjab.  Professor Rathore expressed concern about some...