Nursing students missing practical trainings

THIRD-year students of the Lae School of Nursing are missing out on practical training because of the current sit-in protests by nurses, an official says.
Acting school principal Pauline Bomareo said 46 students were scheduled to undergo practical training at the Angau Memorial Hospital as part of their assessment and learning development.
Bomareo said this was cancelled last week when the nurses from Angau joined the nationwide protest calling on the government to fully implement the nurses’ awards.
More than 200 nurses at Angau joined the protest, leaving only a skeleton staff to look after patients.
“Students in clinical practicum require a nursing officer to be present,” she said. “Nurses’ absence means students cannot perform their duties and this affects their learning.”
Nurses attached with the school and affiliated with the nurses’ association have joined the protest.
They expressed concern that the students had been directly affected by the protest.
An official at Angau’s emergency department said normal services were continuing with support staff and casual nurses at work.
The Morobe health authority thanked the nurses for ensuring that some remained in the hospital.