Claudia Calleja
Campaign to recruit more nurses
As interest in the nursing profession has dwindled across the globe, the government yesterday launched a campaign to entice more people to take up this rewarding career.
"Nursing is different to other professions as it provides the priceless experience of helping others," said Roberta Sammut, coordinator of the Institute of Health Care's nursing division.
Speaking from personal experience she described the "immense satisfaction" of helping others through difficult times in life.
Having said that, nursing was not all about working with very sick people, she stressed.
"It's 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," Ms Sammut said.
The campaign - which involves television and radio adverts and handing out of leaflets - aims to ensure young people understand the versatility of the nursing profession.
The length of the diploma and bachelors' degrees in nursing, offered at the University of Malta, has been reduced from four years to three and are expected to attract more people as a result.
Ms Sammut added the course had been made more efficient and was fully compliant with EU directives on nursing education. In fact, students would have the opportunity to spend a semester in a foreign university as part of the Erasmus exchange programme.
The new course focuses on personal and professional development and allows students to gain experience in theory and practice at various levels, such as primary health care, mental health care and at hospitals. Health Parliamentary Secretary Joseph Cassar said the whole world was experiencing a shortage of nurses.
"The demand for nurses is consistently on the increase which means qualified nurses are guaranteed job security in the next few years. This campaign is aimed at reminding young people and their parents about a profession that may have been forgotten in the past years," he said.
Agreeing with this, Ms Sammut said the nursing profession experienced competition from other sectors, such as computer and business studies, for the recruitment of qualified young people. The problem was accentuated by the fact that the young were outnumbered by an aging population.
Between Monday and July 19, an information stand will be set up in the lobby of Mater Dei Hospital and anyone interested in the profession can speak to academic staff.
The deadline for the submission of applications for the diploma and bachelors' nursing courses is July 26 and a total of 140 students will be accepted. Students will be screened according to their academic qualifications.
For more information phone 2340 1571 or 2340 1831 or send an e-mail to ihc@um.edu.mt.
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Rachel Roberts
Jul 20th 2009, 19:36
First off, Sarah, I agree with you. I am a qualified first level British nurse wishing to relocate permanently to Malta. I do not mind the fact that I will be taking quite a big drop in salary. I do not mind that I will initally have to work very hard to overcome any potential language barriers with the elderly - self learning the language. Not only am I finding it practically impossible to find any job vacancies to start with, the Nursing Councils (in both UK AND Malta) are taking MONTHS to verify paperwork. What was the point in the EU Directive - mutual recognition of qualifications then? I have applied to government / private hospitals, nursing homes,recruitment agencies,spoken to MENA (my background is A&E)...and apart from the recent public call (for which I applied) I am simply hitting the proverbial brick walls! I simply find it very infuriating that as a trained professional, with a LOT of knowledge and skills to offer, whom WANTS to work as a nurse in Malta more than anything....cannot find work even though all over the papers the government are crying out that you do not have enough!!
Sarah Price
Jul 12th 2009, 22:49
Maybe the Nursing and Midwifery Council in Malta should make the registration procedure easier. I was put off by the amount of paperwork they ask and the length of time it takes for them to register you. They even want birth and marriage certificates.
It doesn't look to me they are in a hurry to register nurses or midwives.
Alexis Borg Sapiano
Jul 12th 2009, 15:55
Nursing is a human- based discipline and one of the most rewarding professions. At the Institute of Health Care Malta, we learn high-quality theoretical and practical knowledge and the ability to incorporate the theory into practice. Personal and professional development, good interpersonal skills and competence in carrying specific nursing procedures are three main goals that we attempt to achieve during our course of study. Nursing education is a major determinant in the development of competencies. Our clinical allocations in the wards are challenging where everyday is a new experience, with incomparable team working environments and worthy settings for learning. Therefore, I highly recommend this course for those who would like the valuable experience of helping others, and for students who are responsible, committed, mature and self motivated.
Alexis Borg Sapiano
BSc. Nursing (Hons) student 2007-2011
Carmel Saliba
Jul 11th 2009, 17:24
This year a total of 140 students will be accepted for the diploma and bachelors' nursing course. Students will be screened according to their academic qualifications for the course.
Why not all are accepted when considering the present shortage of nurses? Malta needs more than 400 nurses.
Why many qualified First Level nurses left Malta to work in other countries, including those outside the EU?
When considering that in five years time there will be a great number of nurses who retire from the job then the 140 students that will be excepted will not be enough to substitute them.
But at last there is the beginning.
Mark Gauci
Jul 11th 2009, 14:16
I am a Diploma Nursing student at the Institute of Healthcare. The learning experience is a very outstanding one as every student feels at home and eager to learn. As students we are also given the opportunity to practice in wards and get a taste of all the aspects of Nursing and learn how to provide the very best care for the patients. Together with the professional Lecturing staff and the experiences from the wards we are being given all the best knowledge and skills to become the very best in the health care service. I strongly recommend anyone who is thinking to take up a career in Nursing I can assure them that they will not be disappointed!
Paul Caruana
Jul 11th 2009, 10:10
It is good to see that efforts are being made to reduce the nursing shortage. Presumibly, from now on (starting this year), all nursing graduates who successfully complete their course would be immediately offered a job within the public health services.