HEC issues policy guidelines to universities regarding nursing education

Islamabad : The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has issued policy guidelines to vice chancellors, rectors, heads all public/private sector universities/Degree Awarding Institutions (DAIs) to review educational pathways for nursing degree programmes in the country.

In that regard, HEC also held a series of consultative meetings of National Curriculum Review Committee (NCRC) in collaboration with Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) and issued guidelines for nursing education.

According to Official sources on Friday, the development of curriculum standards and its review at undergraduate and graduate level was one of the major ongoing activities at the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Subsequently, the recommendations along-with the roadmap are approved for implementation by all universities/Degree Awarding Institutions (DAIs) imparting Nursing Education.

As per details of recommended guidelines for nursing education, the eligibility criteria for admission in four-year BS Nursing (BSN) shall be HSSC/equivalent (12 years of schooling) in pre-medical group with minimum 50% marks.

While admission in erstwhile three year nursing diploma offered after SSC/equivalent (10 years of schooling) has already been stopped As per recommendation of the respective National Curriculum Review Committee, the nursing graduates having qualified three-year nursing diploma, one year midwifery / specialization diploma and two-year Post-RN BSN / Post-RN BSM qualification are allowed equivalence of 16 years of education, irrespective of the sequence of qualification, they added.

The sources revelled that such equivalence is subject to passing of three compulsory subjects i. e Pakistan Studies, Islamic Studies / Ethics (for non-Muslims) and English at erstwhile two-year conventional BA/BSc level or Post-RN level or offered separately by institutions at par with 14 years of education (NQF level 5) or 16 years of education (NQF level 6).