Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 04, 2014 (SKNIS): The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSC) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Education at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) have already been seen as key to the advancement of healthcare and education not only in St. Kitts and Nevis but the region and beyond.
The goal of CFBC was to provide new and relevant programmes and a current and appropriate curriculum which caters to the evolving job market. The programmes would also help graduates obtain good jobs and land leading roles.
According to Shirley Kelly, Dean of Health Sciences at CFBC, the success of these programmes will be due to clinical and teaching attachments with mentorships, internships and practical work experience arrangements. All this is a part of the college’s new strategic plan to ensure that the students have professional connections and can link their study and learning experience directly to career opportunities with institutions, businesses and organizations operating in the Federation and other places they wish to venture to.
Specifically, the BSC in nursing is a four year programme of study designed to prepare graduates to become competent practitioners in a variety of health care practice settings. Graduates of the programme will also be prepared to be safe, confident, culturally sensitive, evidence-based nurses who give care founded on ethical principles. They would also be able to provide care for persons who have a variety of health concerns and with diverse social and economic backgrounds.
Ms. Kelly informed that the aim is to provide students with the foundational principles, requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes or in essence the art and science of general nursing as they prepare for entry level practice and to assume leadership and management roles in nursing. The programme also serves as a catalyst for other graduate studies that suit the expanding role of a nurse. The programme consists of 43 courses and will be delivered over nine semesters. It will also require four years of full time study for completion.
Pertaining to the Post Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education Joycelyn Archibald-Pennyfeather, Dean of Teacher Education at CFBC, noted that it is an in service one year programme for secondary teachers who possess a first degree but have not been exposed to any professional training in teaching. The programme focuses on helping teachers by exposing them to a rage of relevant experiences and processes to function with a high degree of effectiveness in the classroom in the context of the ever changing global, regional and school environments.
Equal emphasis will be placed on helping the teacher develop into a high quality, discerning professional who recognises the importance of lifelong learning, self-assessment and continuous professional development. Integration of theory and practice will be emphasised in the programme as well.
The Ministry of Education has noted that its aim is to “provide a cadre of professionals who epitomizes the ideal Caribbean teacher.” To achieve this, the Ministry is in the process of upgrading and providing the support needed to engage teachers in reflective teaching. An effort is also being made to train the untrained graduate teachers who are presently employed in the system.
The position of the trained graduate teacher is the highest level of the practicing classroom teachers in the education system in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The CFBC collaborated with the Ministry of Education and the University of the West Indies (UWI) to ensure that all the undergraduate teachers are provided the requisite training and skills needed to engage in the teaching and learning process which ensures that the students are prepared to be critical and logical thinkers who can make informed contributions to their respective communities.
Prospective students should apply to UWI and indicate that they wish to do their first year at CFBC. The courses observe all of the UWI schedules and deadlines. Acceptance letters will come from UWI to the students.
These programmes were launched on May 28, 2014.