March 31 – Kenya Nurse, a consultancy firm, has launched a training and sensitisation programme to equip African nurses with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet international job requirements.
The initiative has so far trained over 600 nurses across six counties in the Western and Nyanza regions, focusing on language proficiency and professional skills to improve their chances of securing employment abroad.
Speaking at Firm View Hotel in Busia, Kenya Nurse’s recruitment manager Justine Justus said the programme aims to fast-track nurses’ training and registration with recognised overseas bodies.
“Our objective is to train them and facilitate their registration with organisations like the American Nurses Association to expand their job prospects,” said Justus.
He further noted that the firm is working to simplify the registration process and protect nurses from fraudulent recruitment agencies.
“There has been a rise in brokers deceiving Kenyans with fake overseas job offers, leading to scams. Our mission is to educate and protect nurses from such exploitation,” he added.
To qualify for registration, nurses must have a valid practising licence, a degree or diploma in nursing, and a willingness to work abroad. No prior work experience is required, as the programme includes basic training.
Successful candidates will undergo six months of training before the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools verifies their credentials for overseas practice.
So far, over 50,000 nurses have been trained countrywide, with a target of reaching one million by 2037.
Winny Magero and Roseline Tiema, nurses from Bwingi and Wakhungu dispensaries, welcomed the initiative, saying it would help address unemployment among healthcare workers.
“This programme offers hope to thousands of unemployed nurses and will empower them to negotiate better terms for overseas jobs,” said Magero.
In August 2023, Kenya sent its second batch of nurses to work in the United Kingdom under a bilateral health workforce agreement. Then-Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha flagged off 76 nurses from a pool of 701 applicants.
According to a joint progress report by the Nursing Council of Kenya and the Ministry of Health, 424 applicants met the requirements, while 277 did not qualify due to various factors, including failure to sit or pass mandatory English and computer-based tests.
President William Ruto has been championing bilateral labour agreements between Kenya, the UK, the US, and other countries to create more employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals abroad.
Source: capitalfm
