| By Sharmain CornetteA part of the broken nursing school fence Plans are already apace to improve the current state of the Georgetown School of Nursing, according to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, Hydar Ally.This newspaper in a recent article had highlighted the state of the school which has been in a state of disrepair for some time now.An external look at the school had revealed that a lop-sided sign which has the potential of being a danger and while inside the three-flat building one gets the impression that no repairs have been undertaken for many years.A lack of ventilation in the facility could cause one to become easily overwhelmed with heat of the sun that permeates the atmosphere.And two days ago this newspaper learnt that a section of the fence that secures the property of the school came crashing down into the yard of a neighbouring resident.According to reports reaching Kaieteur News, officials from the Ministry had since visited the resident and offered an apology and had taken measures to have the problem rectified shortly. This development was confirmed by the resident.However, while the move of the Health Ministry has been accepted as noble, some are of the impression that the Ministry’s priorities are not being placed in the right order.But according to the Permanent Secretary in an invited comment yesterday, such a disclosure could not be further from the truth. He disclosed that the Ministry already has taken steps to address the many problems at the school.Ally related that he, along with several officials visited the school just last week in order to have discussions with Principal Nursing Tutor, Sister Pearl Munroe, at which time plans to upgrade and remodel the school were disclosed.The plans, he said, will ultimately cater to the expanding nature of the school.At the last nurses’ graduation programme last year,Cheap NHL Jerseys, Sister Munroe had reported that the school, which accommodated the various classes, was very cramped throughout the training programmes and therefore was not regarded as conducive for learning.The Principal had attributed the cramped state of the facility to the increased intake of students which she noted was approximately more than 200 percent of the amount that is usually trained. Currently,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, about 126 students are in training at the school.“You know that our intake at the school has increased significantly so we are working on addressing this situation as we enhance the facility,” said Ally in a confident tone.At the moment, though,Wholesale Football Jerseys Australia, he related that the Ministry has sought to deal with the space problem by renting space from the Critchlow Labour College and other private facilities. And once sufficient funds are available,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, long-term measures will be put in place shortly, such as the extension of the nursing school’s building. The ventilation problem, he said, will also be adequately addressed with the procurement of air conditioning units.And the human resource challenge in the form of limited Nursing Tutors is also among the issues that are already being addressed by the Ministry, Ally said. According to the Permanent Secretary, it was only yesterday that the Ministry started advertising in the media for Part-Time Nursing Tutors for the country’s nursing schools including Georgetown, New Amsterdam and in Linden.Sister Munroe had highlighted the need for additional tutors as one of the most crucial problems at the school which has 10 staffers within its employ of which seven are trained tutors. The limited amount of Tutors according to Senior Nursing Tutor, Sister Yvonne Beaton, had resulted in Tutors’ inability to mentor students.According to Ally, the Ministry has been observing with much concern the unacceptable rate at which students have to re-sit examinations. It was disclosed to this newspaper that out of a class of 54 students training to become staff nurses, a mere 14 had passed the requisite three-segment examination. Failure to pass each component subject, a student has to re-sit the examination.It was revealed to this newspaper that the problem is rooted in the fact that although the requirements for students entering the nursing school are at least four CXC subjects (grades one to three),Wholesale Jerseys China, with a mandatory grade one in English Language, this is not always the case. Reports are that neither the nursing tutors nor the Principal Tutor for that matter is allowed to screen the students’ qualification. As a result, students with grades three and four in English Language are in some instances allowed to undertake the courses offered.But according to Ally, he is aware that only students with the requisite requirements are allowed to undertake the professional nursing and nursing assistants programme,Wholesale Football Jerseys China, adding that he personally has a hand in screening potential students.The Permanent Secretary stressed the fact that while the Ministry may not be able to put all of the necessary measures in place forthwith to address the concerns of the school, it will ensure that things will be notably improved at the school in the near future. |
