Bishwajit Mazumder

Nursing Instructor
Dhaka Nursing College, Dhaka
Development and Pattern of Nursing Education

Nursing as a profession that recalls the name of Florence Nightingale is indeed one of
the noblest professions in the world. It is the art of caring sick people with the science of
health care. It is the vital component of any form of medical care. The largest group of
workers in the health sector is those in nursing occupations as nurses and nursing assistants.
In a hospital from a general ward to the operating theater, nursing forms an integral part. This
is one of the few domains of work that is almost totally dominated by woman.
Nursing education: Nursing education is a professional education which is consciously and
systematically planned and implemented through instruction and discipline and aims the
harmonious development aesthetic power.
Professional development: Professional development is the need of competition and
knowledge explosion should be explain properly and prepare the student to render
professional nursing care in the best or higher possible manner.

Development and pattern of Nursing Education in Bangladesh

The Directorate of Nursing Services (DNS) is the central body and focal point from
which all activities relating to public sector nursing in Bangladesh are managed. This
includes all involved in nursing and midwifery education and practices. Before partition
nurses were being trained at three junior nursing schools under the Bengal Nursing Council.
The first professional senior nursing school was established in 1947 at Dhaka Medical
College Hospital and was managed by a few Sister Tutors, Sisters and Staff Nurses from
Madras, India. The post of Superintendent of Nursing Services was created at that time under
the Ministry of Health, Pakistan.
In 1949 a group of nurses were sent to England for basic training, on return they were
posted in leadership positions in the Nursing Services section. In 1950 the then Government
offered fellowships to nurses for studying abroad. The World Health Organization (WHO)
provided technical assistance on nursing in 1952, and as a result nursing educational
programs were upgraded.
The East Pakistan Nursing Council was fully constituted in 1952 as a regulatory body
for nursing education and services. In 1956 the College of Nursing was established in
Karachi to offer post-basic diploma in administration and teaching. A few nurses were sent
from then East Pakistan to Karachi to attend those programs. Later on selected nurses were
sent to take BSc and MSc degrees from Boston University, USA, under a USAID fellowship
program.
In 1960 the junior nursing training schools were abolished and in between 1962 &
1970 the senior nursing training schools were established and attached to 8 (eight) Medical
College Hospitals to provide Diplomas in Nursing and Midwifery. The College of Nursing,
Mohakhali, Dhaka was also established in 1970 to offer post-basic Diploma in
Administration and Teaching. During 1970-71 more senior nursing schools were established
and attached to 12 District Hospitals and started crash programs without having any
sanctioned posts for Sister Tutors, physical facilities and teaching-learning resources. The
students, teachers and the teaching-learning resources had to be borrowed from other
schools/institutes to start functioning. However, the number of nurses increased from 50 in
1947 to 600 in 1970.
There are two forms of pre-service education in nursing and post service education.
A. Pre-service education:
1. Diploma in Nursing:
There are 43 Nursing Institutes with 1570 seats are operationalized and providing 3-
years Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery course since 2008. In meeting the demand
of the country approval has already been obtained from the ECNEC for establishing 05+02
more nursing institutes (it is also included in the RPIP) where 250 seats will be available for
admission. Beside these 50 seats are available in Armed Forces Nursing Institute and 1520
are in private NIs (39 NIs).
2. B. Sc in Nursing (Basic):
Nursing Institute attached to Dhaka Medical College Hospital; Mymensingh Medical
College Hospital; Rajshahi Medical College Hospital; Chittagong Medical College Hospital
have been upgraded to Nursing Colleges and providing 4-years B. Sc in Nursing since 2008.
Other 3 (Three) attached to the Medical College Hospital, Barisal; Medical College Hospital,
Rangpur; and Medical College Hospital, Sylhet have also been upgraded to Nursing Colleges
and providing 4-years B. Sc in Nursing since 2011. A total of 700 seats are available for the
candidates having H. Sc with science background. There are 12 Nursing Colleges in the
private sector also opens the scope for 365 students to study 4-years B. Sc in Nursing.
B. Post -Basic (In-service) Education:
The College of Nursing with 125 seats was established in 1970. It has been affiliated
with the Dhaka University under the Faculty of Medicine in 1977 as a constituent College for
the B. Sc in Nursing and B. Sc in Public Health Nursing Degrees. There are other colleges at
Bogra, Khulna and Fowzderhat with 375 seats (among them 475 are for home and 5 for
foreign students) started the same program from 2011. Approximately 1500 nurses have been
qualified with B.Sc. in Nursing and Public Health Nursing from the College of Nursing since
its birth.
The affiliated hospitals for clinical practice include Dhaka Medical College Hospital;
The National Institute for Cardio-Vascular Diseases; The Institute of Diseases of the Chest
and Hospital; National Institute of Cancer & Research; Institute of Child and Maternal
Health, Matuail; BIRDEM; Drug Addiction Hospital, Tejgaon; Paediatric hospital; Ad-din
Hospital; and National Institutes of Kidney Diseases and Urology. In addition to these,
students are also been placed in the communities for community practice. Having the B.Sc.
Degree few nurses get the chance of promotion either in education or services sector.
Continuing and In-service Education:
There are four Divisional Continuing Education Centre and two Rural Teaching
Centers for continuing education and in-service training of nurses. Selected nurses have had
the chance to go abroad for higher education and they have obtained B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree,
diplomas and certificates course in specialized areas of nursing through fellowship programs
though such programs are not available on a regular basis.
The following are the specific development which is worth citing:
1. Centralized admission system is introduced in basic Nursing Course from 2000.
2. Reviewing the Basic Nursing Curriculum by the financial assistance of WHO and
consultants from Thailand & Bangladeshi Nursing Officers. has been completed and awaiting
for approval.
3. The curriculum of B.Sc. Nursing and B.Sc. Public Health Nursing has been updated which
is implementing for providing a stronger focus on community health care, modern teaching
methodologies & standard care.
4. An Off-shore Master program has been started at College of Nursing funded by WHO
under the University of Adelaide, Australia. Ten students are offering this three years
program. After completion of feasibilities studies in-country Master Program may be started
in Bangladesh.
5. In-services training given to the different categories of Nurses in different areas
(Orientation, Management, Leadership, Infection Control, Womens Health etc.).
6. Nursing Standards, introduced only in few hospitals, it is replicating in other hospitals also.
7. SEARO Midwifery standard also introduced in few hospitals, which is also replicating in
other hospitals.
8. Six textbooks, six teachers guidelines & two dictionaries in Bangladesh are currently
being published.
9. An educational & practice network has been established to facilitate the exchange of two
way communication between DNS, BNC vice-versa nurses in the field.
10. Nursing Research Cell has been established at the College of Nursing, a few Nursing
Research has been started in Bangladesh

References:
1. International Council of Nurses. (2002). The ICN definition of nursing. Geneva: ICN.
2. Nightingale, F. (1859). Notes on Nursing: What it is and what it is not. London: Harrison.
3. Royal College of Nursing. (2001). Quality Education for Quality Care. London RCN
4. Development and pattern of Nursing. Retrieved from Education www. dgmn.gov.bd
5. Development and pattern of Nursing Education. Retrieved from www.bnmc.gov.bd