The Nursing Dilemma

Minister of Health, Dr. Fuad Khan 

The Nursing Council of Trinidad and Tobago have taken the Minister of Health Dr. Fuad Khan to task about the proposed amendment to the Nursing and Midwives Act. In  a move, describe no less than trite, the Minister of Health is adamant that this law which ensures set standards for Nursing and midwifery be removed amid a 40 percent failing rate (as stated by him).


This move is quizzical to say the least. On one hand the Minister wants to raise the level of Health care, while on the other he attempts to lower the standards by employing semi proficient, mediocre, incompetent graduates who cannot display adequate  knowledge of his/her profession. 
In an effort to comprehend this move, one must wonder what does life really means to Dr. Khan. Clearly, it must be worthless, given that he seems insistent on having ill-qualified nurses within the Heath care system by removing and replacing the law which governs set qualities.  He must be reminded that unlike the services of an artist, who has the luxury of erasing, redrawing, and even starting over,  for health care professionals, mistakes result in either harm to or death of patients. 
It is therefore paramount in retaining this system of assessment, as in the first world countries such as the US, and Europe, all professionals, be it Doctors, Lawyers, EMT's, Nurses and Pilots, must go through a certification exam as to ensure competency and aptitude. 
Condemning the system as archaic in nature, Dr. Khan stated that the Nursing Council needed to employ new technology in its bid of assessing Nurses. What his researchers failed to provide him with was that this seemingly archaic system has worked and is still working around the world. In the US the exam is called the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), in Singapore it is called the Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) in Canada it is called Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) and even in India it is called the Indian Nursing Council (INC) all of which provides similar services akin to that of the Nursing Council of Trinidad and Tobago. 
What must always be kept at fore, is that the health and lives of patients far outweighs the need of just mere employment. The ideas, and suggestion by the Minister of Heath is grossly spurious and  illogical, and he must not be allowed to continue his assault on the rigorous qualifying standards which ensures that the lives and health of patients remains paramount in the delivery of our Health Services. I call on the Nursing Council of Trinidad and Tobago, and all Stake holders to continue to resist this sinister act upon the Heath system. Ensure that this Ministerial gaff is taken to task as the citizenry must maintain its faith in the persons they rest their lives in. Competency must never be compromised, quality must be placed above quantity as mediocrity is not an option.