EKSUTH Nursing College Records 100% Pass Rate As It Inducts First HND Graduands
The College of Nursing Sciences, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, has recorded a 100 per cent pass rate in the external licensing examinations for its first set of students admitted under its four-year Higher National Diploma (HND) programme.
The Chief Medical Director of EKSUTH, Prof. Kayode Olabanji, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Ado-Ekiti ahead of the induction of 109 graduands into the nursing profession on Thursday.
Prof. Olabanji said the ceremony would be the first induction since the institution was upgraded from a School of Nursing to a College in 2022, in line with the directive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
He explained that the upgrade followed the Council’s directive that nursing institutions should either affiliate with universities to award degrees or upgrade to colleges capable of running the HND programme.
Under the new programme, general nursing, midwifery and public health nursing are integrated into a single four-year course, unlike the previous system where students trained separately to qualify as Registered Nurses or Registered Midwives.
The CMD said the 109 graduands would proceed for a 12-month internship under the supervision of qualified professionals to gain further practical experience.
He described the establishment and continued support of the college by the Ekiti State Government as a strategic response to the shortage of health professionals caused partly by the migration of nurses and other medical personnel abroad.
“The institution is helping to bridge the manpower gap in the state’s health sector while contributing to the availability of skilled personnel across the country,” Olabanji said.
He noted that the college remains the only government-owned college of nursing sciences in Ekiti State, and expressed appreciation to the state government, the institution’s staff and other stakeholders for sustaining its operations.
Prof. Olabanji particularly acknowledged the contributions of the Provost, Dr Olabisi Awe, and other staff members in developing the institution and ensuring it met the requirements of its regulatory bodies.
He disclosed that the college has secured accreditation to offer nursing, midwifery and public health nursing programmes, as well as post-basic specialisations in nephrology, mental health, ophthalmology, anaesthesia and perioperative nursing.
According to him, the additional programmes would provide opportunities for practising nurses to acquire specialised skills and improve healthcare delivery.
Speaking at the press conference, the Provost, Dr . Olayinka Awe, commended Prof. Olabanji for his role in the establishment and development of the college, particularly his insistence on providing the necessary academic staff, facilities and training structures to produce competent nursing professionals.
Dr Awe said the college has more than 50 academic staff, including 14 PhD holders, and over 600 students enrolled in its programmes.
She disclosed that the institution has continued to expand its facilities, including classrooms, a library, accommodation and information and communication technology infrastructure.
According to her, the college has also provided dedicated demonstration laboratories for its post-basic programmes to ensure that students receive the practical training required for their specialisations.
The Provost said additional students would be admitted in November, alongside the resumption of post-basic nursing students, as the institution continues to expand its academic activities.
She also commended the EKSUTH management for supporting staff development, noting that opportunities for lecturers to pursue doctoral programmes had contributed to strengthening the college’s academic capacity.
