Campaign to encourage nursing launched
A campaign to encourage people to become nurses was launched this morning.
“Nursing is not a homogenous profession as people can expand their career by working with children and they can work with healthy people through health promotion, among other options,” Roberta Sammut , coordinator of the Institute of Health Care’s nursing division said.
The campaign – that involves television and radio adverts and handing out of leaflets – aims to ensure young people understand the versatility of the profession.
University courses have been decreased from four years to three and were expected to attract more people.
The course had also been made more efficient and was fully compliant with EU directives on nursing education. Students would also have the opportunity to spend a semester in a foreign university as part of the Erasmus exchange programme.
Health Care Parliamentary Secretary Joseph Cassar said the demand for nurses was consistently so qualified nurses were guaranteed job security in the next few years.
Between Monday and July 19 an information stand is being in Mater Dei Hospital’s lobby where anyone interested in the profession could speak to academic staff.
Applications for the university courses close on July 26. A total of 140 students would be accepted. More information can be obtained from tels. 2340 1571 or 2340 1831 or email: ihc@um.edu.mt .
10 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Mario Tabone
Jul 11th 2009, 17:27
It is very disappointing to learn that individuals who wrote on this blog still have NO idea what caring for the sick means! Rather disappointing because all they see was, feed, clothe ..etc What about providing holistic care to patients? This is what nurses learn at the Institute of Healthcare. Providing care which is scientifically and evidence based. They do not learn to practice by trial and error. They are not taught to learn by their own mistakes, but from secondary experiences which are then consolidated by primary experiences.This means that each student makes the experience his/her own by practicing under supervision. A person who finishes a diploma or degree and prefers to work as a waiter, must be an individual who never learnt what is the Art and Science of Nursing. There are several things in life that motivate people, and one of which is money. Although money is important in life, for various reasons, nursing has always given me greater satisfaction which money can never provide. We have very dedicated nurses in our hospitals in Malta. We were trained to CARE and we do it with PRIDE!
Mario Tabone
Jul 11th 2009, 17:16
I started as a nursing student back in 1987. I am still a nurse in clinical practice, and also teach our nursng students in the clinical area. I am very proud of being a nurse, and to provide holistic care to those requiring our services. Moreover I still study with the Institute of Healthcare where most people I know them for several years, and who are committed to providing our nursing students with the best academic knowledge. Currently we have very good students who are eager to become part of the nursing workforce. They are brilliant, dedicated, and hard working both academically and clinically. I am ever so proud of them.
The Institute of Healthcare trains nurses to be able to provide holistic care to patients. They are not specifically trained to become nurses with a particular enterprise. We currently have a new system, which is the Continuous Assessment System where students are allocated with a mentor (qualified nurse) in the clinical area where they can get all the support needed. Nursing provides individuals with life long life wide opportunities. It is an eyesore to read about comments from individuals who are not nurses and place comments without rationale!
Frederick Attard
Jul 11th 2009, 01:29
It is sad to see the Institute of Healthcare ignoring the Private Hospitals in such a campaign.
Yes Mater Dei will always be the largest recruiter of nurses in Malta but why ignore the private hospitals completely as if they are non existant?
As Human Resources Manager of Saint James Hospital Group, we are the largest private hospital and the 2nd largest employer of nurses in Malta so to be consulted on such a recruitment campaign would have been very welcome. We employ approximately 450 people in our hospitals and clinics with the bulk being Nurses, Nursing Aides & Carers so I am sure we could have given some valuable feedback.
Frederick Attard
Human Resources Manager
Saint James Hospital Group
vincent gauci
Jul 10th 2009, 23:42
Nurses complain about thier wages, what about Nursing Aides which are paid less and have to do all the dirty work.
Silvia Muscat
Jul 10th 2009, 20:02
I spend two years at MCAST learning the art of caring,after finishing my studies I got a job in an old people`s caring home, caring for elderly people by having to wash,feed them and I tell you it`s a very hard job especially when they are in bed and you have to lift them up ,only to just earn the minimum wage,no wonder why it`s getting hard to attract students to get that profession,give a decent wage at least ,and when you are a young woman like me the one`s who are in charge treat you like dirt even thou you do your best ,I know that the elderly people love us because after a while working with them it`s like a family but the wages are poor.
carmen attard
Jul 10th 2009, 19:31
After spending 4more years of my life at school and training to be a nurse, when I went to apply for a job as a nurse I found out that the pay was far less than that was earned as a restuarant waitress so I started to work as a waitress,more money in my pocket,after all we work for money.
James Green
Jul 10th 2009, 17:55
A decent salary will get them marching.
Ray Buhagiar
Jul 10th 2009, 16:49
Compare the salaries earned by the traditional degrees with that of health professionals (excluding that of doctors) and you will realise why the amount of students enrolled in such courses is low. Why is it that the other courses did not decrease the course length?
M.Bezzina
Jul 10th 2009, 16:46
Considering the long hrs spent in at work 12hr duty everytime no its not worthed for the salary nurses have!!There are other professions which when you consider them you earn more money than nurses eg: IT.
edmond baldacchino
Jul 10th 2009, 15:39
oh yes, that is really nice , after spending 2 years studying ,and the hard time they give you....no .....there is nothing encouraging in this ....