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Monday, February 21, 2011

The National Nursing Program and the College of Nursing

The National Nursing Program (NNP), the major nursing governmental program in Kuwait, is considered one of the greatest achievements of Kuwait Nursing Association. It is a five year program introduced in Sep. 2005 by the Ministry of Health. The central objective of the NNP is to raise nursing standards for all levels of Kuwaiti nurses. It provides the opportunity for up to 500 nurses to apply for study leave or scholarship in order to continue their nursing studies from Diploma to PhD or to attend different specialized nursing courses in Kuwait and abroad. The NNP is a unique program in Kuwait in its large number of nurses in one ministry.

Unfortunately, one of the challenges facing this program is the College of Nursing, the only governmental college available for nurses in Kuwait that is located under the umbrella of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). Sadly, this college does not provide male nurses with the opportunity to study and obtain a Bachelor degree in nursing. Why? KNA and I personally are still waiting for the answer from the College of Nursing. Surprisingly, this college is accepting male nurses to study and obtain only Diploma in nursing.

It could be said that this kind of unfair treatment or practice by the College of Nursing is sex discrimination in education of BSN program. It is worth noting that this BSN program has been transferred from Kuwait University to this college since 2001. This means that male nurses were prohibited from obtaining the BSN from their country for 10 years!. Consequently they were left with one option only i.e. studying abroad. Unfortunately, some of these nurses have preferred not to join the NNP because they were unable to study abroad due to social reasons.     

Currently, KNA is demanding the Ministry of Health and PAAET to solve this issue and stop this type of discrimination. Hopefully, these nurses may have the opportunity in the future to continue their Bachelor degree in this college.   
  

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