THE MINISTRY of Health in collaboration with the HEART Trust/NTA's National Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET), last Thursday launched the new competency standards for health care assistants (formerly practical nurses) at the ministry's head office in Kingston.
The new competency standards clarify and define the roles of persons in practical nursing in relation to those of registered nurses. The process will also herald a name change from practical nurse to 'patient care assistant', complete with a different uniform for those who qualify under the NCTVET system.
The standards, developed by industry leaders, are specifically geared for use in training institutions offering courses in practical nursing, and is the first step in the process of regularising the practice. It will also seek to ensure that all persons receive the same level and quality of training in the rudiments of practical nursing.
According to Dr. Grace Allen-Young, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, over a number of years, several institutions have emerged, offering a variety of curricular to meet the perceived needs for this skill area. These institutions, she said, lacked uniformity, which placed a difficulty on establishing effective monitoring mechanisms.
