In
1972, with the introduction of the New Education System Plan, nursing
education became the responsibility of the Institute of Medicine (IoM),
Tribhuvan University. The first Nursing school then became an IoM campus
and the second one, an extension campus. These campuses ran a three-year
nursing certificate programme that remained very much oriented to hospital
nursing. Although the curriculum continued to be that to preparing nurses
for hospital services.
Iin 1987, following
a major review process which extended over a period of several years,
a new primary health-care oriented curriculum was introduced. This curriculum
intends to meet the health-care needs of the people of Nepal. Therefore,
the aim is to produce graduates who have the necessary knowledge, understanding
and skills to provide preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative
aspects of care, to individuals, families and community.
The existing two-track
post basic BN programme was started in 1968. The decision to start the
revised programme was based on having just one nursing programme at
the Bachelor level with two tracks/community nursing and hospital nursing.
Having two tracks with students taking common one course in areas of
teaching, leadership management and research helped to prepare nurses
to be flexible and adapt to any area of nursing practice. Since the
introduction of the first post-basic programme, 404 nurse have graduated.
The most recent
development in nursing education is a programme leading to a master's
degree in nursing (MN). The result of a study conducted in 1991 to determine
the need for and the feasibility of introducing an MN programme, indicated
that with the expansion of health services, there would be a need for
more nursing positions requiring higher level dqualifications. The study
results also indicated that with the expansion of health services, there
would be a need for more nursing positions requiring higher level qualifications.
The study results also indicated that 90 percent of the BN graduates
surveyed were interested in undertaking study at the masters degree
level in Nepal. The curriculum for the MN programme was developed and
plans were implemented in April, 1995.
