by SHEIKH SHAHARIAR ZAMAN
Yasmin Amarsi (left) talking to Dhaka Tribune reporter
Bangladesh has immense prospect for health education and it can be a hub of nursing training with proper recruiting policy, faculty and leadership development, said Yasmin Amarsi, professor and founding dean of School of Nursing and Midwifery Aga Khan University East Africa.
Amarsi, who visited Dhaka recently, felt that Bangladesh has qualified nurses but with more structured system, it can render better services.
Amarsi, who is engaged in this profession for the last four decades, came to Dhaka to assess how Aga Khan Development Network can help Bangladesh in developing nursing profession.
In an exclusive interview with the Dhaka Tribune, Amarsi said at least 500 nurses in Bangladesh have masters degree and there are some who have PhD degree.
Quality, relevancy, access to all and makes a difference are the four principles of engagement of any Aga Khan led initiative and here it would not be exception, she said.
She met government officials and many nurses during her stay in Dhaka.
There is a Nursing Council which governs the profession while nursing association is there to look after their interest and it is very positive picture.
She said with faculty and leadership development, nursing profession can be taken to a new height.
Up-to-date curriculum, modern teaching and learning strategy, good university, well qualified teacher and other issues can be addressed under the faculty development programme, she said.
She felt that with the improvement of faculty, many people from outside will come to Bangladesh for study.
The world is facing about three million shortage of nurses and Bangladesh can supply a portion of that.
She opined that Bangladesh should introduce one-year clinical specialisation diploma programme so that nurses can be specialised on intensive care unit or pediatric or any other areas.
About the role of nurses, she said here they can only work in hospitals but the international trend is they can do lot of service in the community.
“They can do a lot in research or they can conduct clinic,” she said adding in this way by diversifying, young people would be attracted to this profession.
She felt that leadership development is important for the nurses as it will help them to become self-confident, decision maker and able to fight for their rights.
She suggested that doctors and nurses should study together in the first two years at the university.
In the first two years, doctors and nurses have same basic courses and by studying together, doctors will respect the nurses.
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