The College of Nursing Sciences, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, will on Thursday induct 109 graduands into the nursing profession, marking the first induction ceremony since the institution was upgraded from a school of nursing to a college in 2022.
The Chief Medical Director of EKSUTH, Prof. Kayode Olabanji, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Ado-Ekiti, where he said the ceremony would formally usher the first set of students admitted under the college’s four-year Higher National Diploma (HND) programme into the profession.
Olabanji explained that the upgrade was in line with the directive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria that nursing institutions should either affiliate with universities to award degrees or upgrade to colleges capable of running the HND programme.
He said the new programme integrated general nursing, midwifery and public health nursing into a four-year course, unlike the previous system in which students trained separately to qualify as registered nurses or registered midwives.
The CMD disclosed that the first set of students admitted in 2022 had recorded a 100 per cent pass rate in their external licensing examinations.
He added that the graduates would proceed for a 12-month internship under the supervision of qualified professionals to gain further practical experience.
Olabanji said the establishment and continued support of the college by the Ekiti State Government would help address the shortage of health professionals caused partly by the migration of nurses and other medical personnel abroad.
He said the institution was helping to bridge the manpower gap in the state’s health sector while contributing to the availability of skilled personnel across the country.
The CMD described the college as the only government-owned college of nursing sciences in Ekiti State, expressing appreciation to the state government, the institution’s staff and other stakeholders for sustaining its operations.
He particularly acknowledged the contributions of the Provost, Dr. Olabisi Awe, and other staff members in developing the institution and ensuring that it met the requirements of its regulatory bodies.
Olabanji disclosed that the college had secured accreditation to offer nursing, midwifery and public health nursing programmes, as well as post-basic specialisations in nephrology, mental health, ophthalmology, anaesthesia and perioperative nursing.
He said the additional programmes would provide opportunities for practising nurses to acquire specialised skills and improve healthcare delivery.
The Provost, Dr. Awe, commended Prof. Olabanji for his role in the establishment and development of the college, particularly his insistence on providing the necessary academic staff, facilities and training structures to produce competent nursing professionals.
Awe said the college had more than 50 academic staff, including 14 PhD holders, and over 600 students enrolled in its programmes.
She disclosed that the institution had continued to expand its facilities, including classrooms, a library, accommodation and information and communication technology infrastructure.
According to her, the college had also provided dedicated demonstration laboratories for its post-basic programmes to ensure that students received the practical training required for their specialisations.
The provost said additional students would be admitted in November, alongside the resumption of post-basic nursing students, as the institution continued to expand its academic activities.
She also commended the EKSUTH management for supporting staff development, noting that opportunities for lecturers to pursue doctoral programmes had contributed to strengthening the college’s academic capacity.
