The Liberia Board for Nursing and Midwifery (LBNM) Assessor Team has begun an assessment of the management, infrastructure, and proposed clinical site of the University of Liberia (UL) School of Nursing and Midwifery.

The LBNM’s assessment is intended to determine UL’s level of preparedness to start a full four-year Bachelor’s program in Nursing and Midwifery, and post-basic training for those who already did their diploma.

The assessment began on the University of Liberia Capitol Hill campus on Thursday, October 6, 2022.

Assessor Team Lead Ms. Anna Doe-Smallwood, Registered Nurse, (RNM, MPH), Liberia Board of Nursing and Midwifery, explained that the assessment tool for the Board will be used during the exercise.

She said the assessment runs in three areas: the school, the proposed clinical site, and the Management. Of the three areas, the LBNM Team began its assessment with the Management followed by an assessment of the proposed clinical site on Friday, October 7, 2022.

As part of the assessment, the team will look at the institution, infrastructure, and training materials. Further, it will look at the policy available regarding student recruitment and faculty structure.

Earlier, welcoming the LBNM Team, Dr. Bernice Dahn, Vice President, University of Liberia College of Health Sciences (ULCHS), said this program will be a full four-year program for direct entry hopefully from high school. She said it will also provide post-basic training, especially for those who attained their diplomas and want to get their degrees.

Dr. Dahn explained that ULCHS is trying to build the foundation for the introduction of a Master’s program for Nursing and Midwifery.

“So if we get over the nursing portion too, we will be doing that. We’ll start working along with the … necessary team to look at what will be required,” she said.

Dr. Dahn added that a planned trip to Ghana is being discussed to see how it’s Master’s and Ph.D. programs are structured to be able to address some of the professional gaps. She explained that the initiative started a few years ago when the University of Liberia worked with some members of the Board at the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) to do an articulation program. According to her, the program went on for some time and it was supposed to transition to a full four-year degree program. However, she said it was terminated to embark on the current one in the hope to start the Bachelor’s program.

Dr. Dahn explained that the university was granted permission to prepare for the midwifery program first but UL wants to also do the post-basic training program.