MSc Nursing programmes soon at UWI

Nursing professionals in Barbados and the region will soon have the opportunity to explore two graduate programmes at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus.

According to Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Eudine Barriteau, the Campus will be rolling out a number of new degree programmes in the new semester, which will include MSc Nursing Education and MSc Nursing Administration.

“These two Master’s degree programmes complement the Bachelor degree in Nursing at the Barbados Community College (BCC) and there is a demand for this degree,” she said.

The Campus Quality Assurance Office (CQAO) conducted a survey of nursing professionals in Barbados and the region in December 2017 on behalf of the Faculty of Medical Sciences and in collaboration with the Office of Planning & Projects.

The anonymous online survey was designed to provide insights to inform the development of the two proposed graduate programmes in Nursing. The survey questionnaire explored Nursing professionals’ study and career background and experiences; and assessed their interest and preferences in relation to the new programmes.

“Before we launch any new degree programme, we do market surveys and there has been a call for a long time for specialised degrees in Nursing. And we also know from just tracking the changes in the labour market, there will be growth in health professionals and the demand for health professionals.

“…The whole area of health tourism is growing. We also have ageing populations; people are taking better care of themselves, so specialisation in Geriatric Nursing and all the other forms of Nursing – there will be growth in private clinics and the administration of those private clinics. So, those new degree programmes in Nursing will take care in meeting that demand down the road and providing career paths for the young women and men who are studying Nursing at BCC,” Professor Barriteau added. (TL)