Nursing Education in the Gambia: Milestones and Challenges towards Reform

Nursing education is the formally recognized program of study providing a broad and sound foundation in thebehavioral, life nursing sciences for the general practice of nursing resulting in leadership role and preparationpost basic education in specialty or advanced nursing practice. This paper provides a descriptive account ofnursing education in the Gambia, share its milestones and challenges based on a review of the literature. Nursingeducation is offered on a full time basis and free of charge for Gambian students attending public nursinginstitutions at the certificate level. These training institutions are under college and universities. In the Gambia,nursing education though slowly progressing, tremendous achievements have been made. Milestones registered arethe development of an advanced diploma, graduate and post graduate nursing programs (MSc.) at the Universityof the Gambia, revised and updated curricula to meet the health care demands of the populace, attainment ofpost graduate degrees by most nursing faculty members and an increasing number of qualified student applicantswishing to take nursing as their professional career. Challenges are limited specialization areas, old text booksand journals, shortage of faculty, poor e- learning facilities, lack of clinical tutors, in- country nursing journal,infrastructure such as limited classrooms space, non-functional skill laboratories and residential hall/campus. Inorder to enhance effective teaching- learning environment, these constraints need to be addressed so as to producehighly qualified, competent and educated nursing workforce capable to deliver quality nursing care and henceimprove patient outcomes.