Final Stakeholder Workshop Held to Discuss the Future of Nursing Education Initiatives

On June 2, 2026, the Final Stakeholder Workshop was held at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) in Dhaka. The workshop aimed to discuss the continuation and further development of nursing education initiatives in Bangladesh. It brought together a diverse group of stakeholders in the nursing sector, including representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC), as well as target nursing colleges and collaborative hospitals involved in both Phase II and Phase I of the project.

During the workshop, participants reflected on the achievements and implementation experiences of the project from 2022 to 2026 as well as the recommendations from the project team, while engaging in active discussions on how these achievements could be sustained and further developed after the project's completion. Looking back on the practical approaches cultivated through the project (CBNS Model), including capacity development through cascade training model, active learning methodologies, college-hospital collaboration, and inter-institutional mutual learning, participants exchanged views from their respective perspectives on how to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives.

Representatives from nursing colleges and collaborative hospitals shared the changes brought about through the development of Master Trainers (MTs) and Clinical Nurse Teachers (CNTs), as well as the innovations introduced in their institutions, challenges encountered, and their aspirations for continuing these activities. Participants emphasized that the project's achievements should not remain temporary outcomes but the activities related to the CBNS Model should instead be carried forward through the proactive efforts of each institution. They also reaffirmed that continuous monitoring, coordination among relevant organizations, support for human resource development, and adequate budgetary arrangements would be essential to sustaining and strengthening these initiatives.

In his closing remarks, the Chairperson of the workshop, an Additional Secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division (MEFWD), acknowledged the project's significant contribution to strengthening the linkage between nursing education and clinical practice. He also expressed his expectation that the experiences and effective approaches developed through the project would continue to evolve through the leadership and commitment of Bangladeshi stakeholders themselves.

The workshop served not only as an opportunity to share the project's achievements, but also as a forum for Bangladeshi stakeholders to look ahead and jointly explore the future direction of sustaining and further developing these initiatives. Although the project has now come to an end, it is hoped that the collaborative foundation established through CBNS-II project will continue to contribute to the further advancement of nursing education and practice in Bangladesh.