Trainee nurses get keys to quarters

 TRAINEE nurses at a nursing college in the Highlands were delighted when they were given keys to their refurbished quarters.

Nurses from the Highlands Regional College of Nursing (HRCN) in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, had been living in rundown accommodation.

College acting principal Saidi Lani said the building was refurbished with help from the Health Department, the provincial health authority and the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.

Lani said 50 trainee nurses would be accommodated in the two-storey dormitory, which took 10 months’ work.

“We hope this will boost their morale and help them learn better,” Lani said.

“We (HRCN) are tasked to produce and deliver quality nurses because the demand for nurses is high.

“To train and produce quality nurses, we need to be equipped with the right infrastructure to deliver.” 

Lani said the number of intakes at the school  increased over the past few years.

He said that had pressured the Highlands Regional College of Nursing management to have rundown infrastructure upgraded and  new ones built.

Lani said a similar dormitory for male students of the school was upgraded recently.

He said the dormitory was now occupied by male students. 

Lani said with the limited resources they had, they were trying to produce quality graduates, who would contribute meaningfully to addressing many challenging health issues affecting the country.