Nursing Council, Jamaica’s only regulatory body
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Nursing Council of Jamaica has stated that it is the only regulatory body in Jamaica that has the legal authority to approve nursing and midwifery schools and programmes and to grant license to practice the professions.
According to a newspaper advertisement by the council yesterday (Sunday, October 1), Section 4 of the ‘First Schedule of Nurses and Midwives Act 1964’ outlines that the function of the council is to “control the training and practice of nurses, midwives and enrol assistant nurses.”
As such the council says its mandate is to protect the public’s health and welfare by ensuring that safe and competent nursing and midwifery care is provided by licensed nurses and midwives.
“By doing so it ensures that licenses are issued only to professionals who attain the requisite competencies and keep their knowledge and skills current as well as uphold the ethics of the profession.”
The Nursing Council said schools and programmes they’ve listed would have demonstrated that they’ve met the required standards for ensuring quality and producing competent professionals.
The council stated that The Bachelor of Science in Nursing programme has been approved at the Brown’s Town Community College School of Nursing, Caribbean School of Nursing: University of Technology (UTech), Excelsior Community College, Knox Community College School of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, The University of the West Indies (UWI) School of Nursing and Sigma.
Meanwhile, Midwifery Certification programmes are approved for Cornwall School of Midwifery, Kingston School of Nursing and the University Hospital of the West Indies School of Nursing. Midwifery has also been recognised by the council at the Spanish Town Hospital School of Midwifery and Victoria Jubilee hospital.
Additionally, the Bachelor of Science in Midwifery programme is approved at the Caribbean School of Nursing: UTech only.
The Assistant Nursing Certificate programme is granted at Excelsior Community College, Knox Community College and Portmore Community College.
