Home Technical Services Division Office of the Chief Nurse

The Office of the Chief Nurse

The Office of the Chief Nurse is within the technical services division of the Ministry of Health (MoH). The Chief Nursing Officer reports to the Chief Medical Officer. The office provides professional advice and guidance with respect to issues of nursing and midwifery in the formulation of policies, plans and programmes. This facilitates the development of the health services and for generally contributing to research and other developmental endeavors of the MoH.

Vision

In accordance with the vision of the Ministry of Health i.e. “Healthy people, healthy environment”, our vision is to “create and maintain a culture of excellent professional practice by a workforce that is highly motivated and committed to providing safe, efficient, effective compassionate care regardless of social, political or religious circumstances”

Nursing Values

Our values of care, leadership, excellence and growth remain fixed; it is not just what we do but how we do it.

Key Areas of Focus for the Office of the Chief Nurse.

The following are the key areas of focus:

  • Policy Development
  • Strategic Direction
  • Leadership

Key outputs of this office include the following:

  • National plan for nursing and midwifery
  • Norms, standards and procedures
  • Five year man power plan
  • Operational plan and budget.
  • Technical advice
  • Position papers
  • Research
  • Policy recommendations
  • Mechanisms for monitoring /auditing nursing practice

Update on the Education and Training Programmes

INSERVICE EDUCATION UNIT (ISEU)

The ISEU is located at 3 Trevennion Park Road, Kingston 5. It is the premier training institution for post-basic courses in the MoH. The courses offered are as follows:

Programme of studyDuration of programme of study
Emergency nursingSeven months
Neonatal nursingSeven months
Nephrology nursingEight months
Nursing AdministrationSix months
Paediatric nursingSix months
Psychiatric nursingSix months
Operating theatre nursingEight months

Candidates pursuing any of the above courses are trained in venepuncture simultaneously. In addition Phlebotomy and operating theatre techniques are offered to auxiliaries.

CRITICAL CARE, MIDWIFERY, NURSE  ANAESTHESIA TRAINING PROGRAMMES

The Ministry of Health (MoH) transferred the Midwifery, Nurse Anaesthesia and Critical Care programmes to the Ministry of Education (MoE). The receiving institution is the University of Technology (UTech)

This change is in accordance with a Cabinet decision 9/99 to reassign all training from the MoH to the Ministry of Education (MoE)

Effective August 2014, the UTech assumed responsibility for the delivery of the three programmes.  As a result, applications for these programmes should no longer be sent to the Ministry of Health. Persons interested in pursuing any of these courses should utilize the process prescribed by the Regional Health Authorities.

Applications for entry to the programmes should be made to UTech by the nurses; however, the Directors of Nursing Service/Regional Nursing Supervisors must recommend the nurses for participation in the programmes, before consideration can be given to the grant of study leave or for financial assistance.

Based on the new training model the programmes will see changes in duration, cost and certification. Critical Care and Midwifery courses will be administered for two years and be awarded a bachelor’s degree. The Nurse Anaesthesia will have duration of three years and be awarded a master’s degree. The exact cost of the courses is specified by the UTech.