Department of Nursing
The Department of Nursing is part of the Faculty of Health Sciences, found in Mbale City, Eastern Uganda. The Department currently runs one program, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BNS) degree program which has been running since 2015 and graduated its pioneer graduands in 2019. Mbale Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) is the main teaching hospital for the Faculty of Health Sciences. However, there are many more Health Centers within Mbale City and surrounding Districts where students go for placement, especially during the Community-Based Education, Research, and Service (COBERS).
The BNS is a four-year academic program. Every academic year shall have two 17-week semesters (15 weeks teaching time and 1 week examination time) and a 10-week recess term (9 weeks learning time and 2 weeks examination time).
The BNS program is further divided into two blocks:
Block I: Courses in years one and two cover mainly Basic / Biomedical sciences
Block II: Courses in years three and four cover Clinical courses
Mission and Objectives
The program is designed to produce graduate nurses that:
- Have the necessary scientific knowledge, professional skills, and attitudes to handle the current health problems and needs of individuals, families, and communities in Uganda and beyond.
- Have the right attitudes and are motivated to serve both the urban and rural communities
- Provide quality specialized nursing and midwifery care to individual clients, families, and communities.
- Are able to build and lead health care teams to the benefit of the people of this country
- Are able to educate and motivate communities to take personal responsibility for their health
- Are self-directed lifelong learners
- Are able to think critically and provide solutions to societal emerging challenges
- Are able to embrace technological changes and apply them for the improvement of the livelihood of communities.
- Are able to advocate, mobilize and manage resources for healthcare delivery
- Are aware of the gender aspects of health.
- Are equipped with knowledge and skills relevant to environmental protection.
List of staff members
Laboratory /Clinical / Teaching facilities
There is a well-equipped skills lab. In addition, BNS students utilize the Simulation lab for the Department of Anaesthesia.
Clinical teaching is done at Mbale regional referral hospital (MRRH) and other nearby health Centers, which are also used during Community Based Education, Research and Service (COBERS).
Programs and Courses taught:
- The Nursing Profession, Health Professional Education &Nationalism
- Communication skills and ICT in Health
- Cells, Tissues and Body Systems
- Lymphoid Tissue, Blood and Body Fluids
- Gastrointestinal Tract Nutrition and Metabolism
- Head, Neck and Locomotor system
- Principles of Nursing & First Aid
- Introduction to the Community
- Epidemiology, Biostatics and Demography
- Neuroscience
- Cardiovascular and Respiratory System
- The Endocrine Reproductive and Urinary systems
- General principles of Pathology
- Principles of Microbiology and Immunology
- Basic Pharmacology and introduction to Therapeutics
- Fundamentals of Nursing and physical assessment
- Family & Community Nursing
- Gender, Ethical, Legal and Human Rights Issues in Nursing
- Women’s Health and safe motherhood
- Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing
- Medical Nursing and Surgical Nursing
- Specialized Medico-Surgical Nursing
- Counseling
- Material Science, Specifications, and Procurement
- Primary Health Care, Nutrition, and Health Systems Management
- Mental Health Nursing
- Palliative care and end of Life issues
- Normal Midwifery and Abnormal Midwifery
- Research Methods, Data collection and Management and Report writing
- Entrepreneurship and Management
Community Engagement / Achievements/ Success Stories
Students are randomly distributed to rural health facilities where they are involved in the community health program of the facility. In the guidance of a site tutor, students support health delivery at the facility, and all activities there are recorded and presented for progressive assessment. This helps the students acquaint themselves with the settings in which they will be practicing after qualification
Contact of the Department
Sr. Lydia VN Ssenyonga
Head of Department
Telephone: +256706182603
Email: nursing@fhs.busitema.ac.ug