Announcement

Strengthening Nursing Education in Afghanistan

Kabul Medical University (KMU) holds conference to develop the academic policies for Bachelors of Science Nursing programs in Afghanistan.

Kabul, Afghanistan  | Friday, July 31, 2009

Photo: USAID/AeQA

Conference participants tour the Nursing Skills Lab at Kabul Medical University.

From June 28-29, Kabul Medical University (KMU) held a conference to develop the academic policies for Bachelors of Science Nursing programs in Afghanistan.   Currently, KMU operates the only Bachelors in Nursing program in the country.  Following the opening ceremony, where speakers stressed the importance of attracting more women to nursing degree programs, attendees participated in working groups to craft academic policies.  Later, participants toured the USAID-funded Nursing Skills Lab, which gives nursing students practical experience in a controlled setting.

A follow up workshop to develop the standards for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Afghanistan will occur later this summer. The policies and standards developed through these two workshops provide the basis for establishing national standards for Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing programs for all higher education universities in Afghanistan.  These programs will produce professional nurses with strong theoretical backgrounds and practical experience, leading to improved patient care in Afghanistan’s hospitals and clinics.