Workshop participants. Standing from left, Elsie Vincent (DHERST Quality Assurance), Shirlyn Belden (office assistant), Sulpain Passingan (NDOH Pre-service & In-service), Thelma Ali Asimi (Health Service Standards). Front seated are Mary Roroi (WHO & PNG Rep.), Julie Dopsie (Curriculum Development). Absent: Mary Kililo (HR Training), Dr. Nina Joseph (PNG Nursing Council), Dr. Russel Kitau (Medical Board), Lengi Derring (Christian Church Services), Dr. Cathy Pilang (Principal Kumin CHW Training School).
As Papua New Guinea (PNG) works to promote and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), improving the quality of health care services is a key priority. While financing, regulation, accreditation and governance are key pillars to improvement, the quality of the health workforce remains a crucial component of any plan that is designed to improve healthcare quality.
To initiate the process of curricula review, the National Department of Health (NDOH) requested the assistance of WHO CC UTS to run an informal workshop for revision and development of the National Curricula Review of the Diploma of General Nursing and Certificate for Community Health Workers in PNG. The workshop was carried out at the Lamana Hotel from the 4th to the 6th of August 2021. Among the attendees were advisors, key stakeholders from NDOH, DHERST, CCHS, nursing and medical registration boards .
The National Department of Health (NDoH) in Papua New Guinea has identified a need to challenge the norms of rigid educational structures that have historically held a core tenet of nursing curricula practices in the country. Qualities emphasised in said former practices are seen to be steeped in custom, rather than allowing flexibility, namely in concurrent re-evaluation and potential adoption of new ideas in the face of modern evidence and research. A principle thought to be driving the force of rapid innovation is the wide spread diversion of organisational approaches to operations from practical knowledge based systems to theoretical information generation, seen in an era of post-industrialization. The 3 day workshop was geared towards first understanding critical curricula review then coming to a consensus on the requirements of health care education of the future to re-evaluate current methods of practice. It was carried out at the Lamana Hotel from the 4th to the 6th of August, 2021. Among the attendees, were key stakeholders from DHoH, DHERST, and CCHS.
Want to see the re-introduction of the licensing platform to mitigate issues of unlicensed or unregistered health personnel in private, public and church run health organizations or institutions.
- Dr Nina Joseph, Registrar PNG Nursing Council
Discussion on Day 1 (4th of August ) started by focusing on highlighting the aspects of current curricula that can be retained for future revisions. After establishing the priority areas of development, qualities to be embodied by graduates were easily identified. At the end of Day 1, attendees drafted a framework for curriculum evaluation in the means of satisfying established improvement areas.
Workshop participants, observers and WHO CC UTS secretariat on Day 1.
On the Day 2 (5th of August), the main objective was to establish grounds for Community Health Workers (CHW) education improvement. Once a scope of practice for CHW's was put forward, modifications of the CHW program were suggested. A key outcome was established in the flagging that roles and skills expected from CHW should be a reflection of the curriculum taught in CHW institutions.
As a teacher, a CHW is expected to really expound on primary health care at the community level as it is the foundation of health care in PNG.
- Lengi Derring, Coordinator CHS Training Institutions
In the final day, participants reflected on the competency evaluation mechanisms and whether they facilitate the development of the desired graduates. The quality of the program itself was then analysed for further refinement.
The final recommendations were as follows:
- Finalising Steering Committee TOR and membership,
- Setting up sub working groups for nursing curriculum, CHW curriculum and fast track program,
- Establishing regular meetings at a relevant location,
- WHO CC to support local Adviser Mary Roroi and administrator.
According to an observation, when a CHW ends up in a hospital he does not implement what he is taught in the training school. This is an issue that needs to be addressed.
- Dr Cathy Pilang, Principal, Kumin CHW School
WHO CC UTS Secretariat is composed by: Professor Di Brown, Suzanne Rochester, Ali Moloney, Caroline Havery, Professor Lin Lock and WHO CC UTS Director Michele Rumsey. The centre would like to thank the attendees Mary Kililo Samor (TA/ Training HR, National Department of Health (NDoH)), Dr Nina Joesph (Registrar, PNG Nursing Council), Lengi Derring (Coordinator CHS Training Institutions, Christian Health Service (PNG) Secretariat), Thelma Ali (Medical Standards, NDoH), Dr. Russel Kitau (Medical Board, PNG), Julie Dopsie (Education Officer, Pre Service Training), Sulpain Passingan (Education Officer, In Service Training), Mary Roroi (Interim Chairperson, PNG NGO Nursing and Allied Health Alliance Association), Dr Cathy Pilang (Principal, Kumin CHW School), Elsie Vincent (Manager Teacher and Health Education Quality Assurance Division Policy & Quality Assurance Division, Department of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology), Julie Kep (A/Registrar, PNG Nursing Council, NDOH (via Zoom)). You can read more about the National Curricula Review here.