Project News

On March 23, 2023, we visited one of the target colleges of the Project, the Mymensingh Nursing College, as part of the activities of Outcome 1: Strengthening Capacity of Nursing Administration. The purpose of the visit is (1) to share the results of the baseline survey (In particular, the results of five assessment items related to accreditations^[1]) with college officials and to analyze the college's strengths and weaknesses, and (2) to use the results of the analysis to identify the actions that will be necessary for the future to obtain accreditation and to develop a rough activity plan. Nineteen faculty members, including the College Principal, actively participated in the discussion.

Regarding the results of the five assessment items on accreditation (Low achievement rates of 50% and 45% were achieved in (1) administration and leadership, and (2) faculty and learning, respectively) in the baseline survey, most of the faculty members understood and accepted the results. An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the college was done based on the baseline survey results. Weaknesses cited included an absolute shortage of teachers and staff, a shortage of specialized personnel, a shortage of time for teachers to prepare for lectures and practices due to the increase in the number of concurrent duties, and several quality issues that teachers face daily, including various issues in the educational environment (For example, lack of classrooms with adequate space relative to the number of students, lack of training equipment, lack of latest books, academic journals, and computers, lack of proper clinical practice in hospitals, etc.). On the other hand, we found that teachers have strong commitment and high motivation, that communication among teachers is good, and that there is a relationship in which senior teachers pass on their know-how to younger teachers.

Based on the results of the above analysis, we discussed the actions to be taken in the future to obtain accreditation. The necessity of establishing a monitoring and supervision system on campus and conducting the training of clinical faculty members was mentioned to improve the quality of nursing education while taking advantage of the good relationship between the faculty members, which is one of the strengths. Concerning issues such as increasing the number of teachers and providing clinical training, which could not be solved by nursing colleges alone, we agreed to work to resolve these issues while strengthening our relationships with the relevant departments of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and with our partner hospitals, such as the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. The faculty of Mymensingh Nursing College proposed an opportunity to be created to share accreditation experiences with the Dhaka Nursing College, the only nursing college in Bangladesh to receive accreditation.

Knowing the results of the evaluation as a nurse training institution, the Mymensingh Nursing College was able to gain a concrete understanding of the current situation and challenges of the college and to start discussions for the future. Accreditations require ongoing and long-term efforts. The Project will continue to carry out activities related to accreditation.

Discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Mymensingh Nursing College

Group photo at Mymensingh Nursing College