Are you planning to be a Nurse and you want to know the salary of a Nurse in Ghana?
Well, it is article you will find out who a nurse is, the roles or responsibility of nurses and also the salary of nurses in Ghana.
Globally, Nursing is a notable and highly valued profession.
It is not easy to study Nursing due to how delicate the profession. In countries like Ghana, Nigeria and some other African countries, Nurses are poorly paid. If you are wondering how much nurses earn in Ghana, then you are about to find out in this article.
But before we go into the salary of a Nurse in Ghana is, let us take a look at who a Nurse is as well as the responsibilities of a Ghanaian Nurse
Who is a Nurse
A nurse is a certified healthcare professional that is involved in the care of patients in the hospital. Nurses are involved in health promotion, protection as well as maintenance of good health.
You may be want to know the responsibilities of Nurses in Ghana, let us quickly take a look at the various responsibilities of Nurses in Ghana.
Responsibilities of a Ghanaian nurse
Nurses play diverse roles in the healthcare sector and these may include but not limited to:
- Communicating with patient and patient relatives, doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.
- Taking care of the patients
- Dressing patients’ beds
- Administering patient medications as prescribed
- Feeding patients
- Wound dressing
- Checking of patient’s vital signs like blood pressure, pulse, temperature etc
- Counseling and educating patients and relatives, etc.
Now that you have known who a Nurse is and the diverse responsibilities of Nurses in Ghana, let us deal with the salary of a nurse in Ghana.
What is the salary of a Nurse in Ghana?
The salary of nurses in Ghana is based on whether the nurse is registered or unregistered. For registered nurses in Ghana, their salaries are based on their level of learning and experience.
The salary of a registered nurse in Ghana is GHS 1800 monthly after-tax deductions. The salary of a Nurse in Ghana depends on some factors which are:
- The institution or hospital he or she is working for
- Years of experience
- Certification or nursing specialty.
Certificate nurses in Ghana earn GHS 1500 monthly. Diploma nurses in Ghana earn GHS 1800 monthly while Nurses with Degree or BSc. earn GHS 2200 per month.
As I have said earlier in this post, your salary as a Ghanaian nurse depends on the institution you are working for as well as your level or year of experience in the nursing profession.
You should also know that the salary of perioperative nurses and psychiatric nurses differs from that of a general nurse.
Now that you have known the salary of Nurses in Ghana, let us take a look at how to become a Nurse in Ghana.
How to become a Nurse in Ghana
To become a Nurse in Ghana, there are three basic steps that you need to take to become a nurse in Ghana. These three steps are:
- Apply to an accredited school offering a nursing program
- Successful completion of a nursing program (degree, diploma, or certificate)
- Register with the board or attain a license to practice
There are a number of accredited public and private institutions that offer the nursing program in Ghana. Once you have completed your senior high school education, you can apply to any of them.
Recommended: Best university to study Nursing in Ghana
Once your application is accepted and you are offered admission, you will have to attend school for a number of years (two, three or fours years) depending on the ultimate award that the institution offers (certificate, diploma or degree).
Upon successful completion of the nursing program, you will have to sit for your licensure examination which is offered by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Ghana is what will lead to the award of a practicing license.
The licensure exams are usually offered through the accredited institution in charge of your training. You will take the licensure examination not long after you have finally completed your academic program and your school or academic institution has certified that you have successfully completed the program.
What are the types of Nursing certifications in Ghana?
The types of nursing certifications in Ghana are;
- BSc. Nursing & Midwifery
- Diploma in Nursing & Midwifery
- Nurse Assistant Clinical Certificate
What are the Entry Requirements for BSc Nursing & Midwifery in Ghana?
Below is the list of entry requirements for BSc. Nursing and Midwifery in Ghana
1. WASSCE/SSSCE Applicants: WASSCE/SSCE applicants need passes (A1-C6) that is aggregate 36 or better in the following courses to be eligible for admission to study BSc. Nursing and Midwifery:
- General Science
- General Arts
- Home Economics (Food and Nutrition option)
- General Agriculture with (Chemistry, Physics or Biology, Elective Mathematics)
2. Diploma Applicants: Candidates with diplomas in registered general nursing, awarded by institutions recognised by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Ghana can also apply together with the following:
- Transcript
- NMC certificate
- NMC PIN
- Birth certificate
- WASSCE/SSSCE
3. Enrolled Nurses’ (POST HAC/NAC TOP-UP) Applicants:
- Transcript
- NMC certificate
- NMC PIN
- Birth certificate
- WASSCE/SSSCE
- Participate and pass a six-week access course with the school.
What are the Entry Requirements for Diploma in Nursing & Midwifery
WASSCE/SSSCE Applicants: CREDIT PASSES (A1-C6/A-D) IN THE FOLLOWING CORE SUBJECTS:
- English
- Mathematics
- Integrated Science
CREDIT PASSES (A1-C6/A-D) IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
- General Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology)
- General Arts
- Home Economics (Food and Nutrition)
- General Agriculture with Chemistry or Physics
What is the cut-off point for Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery in Ghana?
The cut-off point for a diploma in nursing and midwifery in Ghana is an aggregate of 36 or better for WASSCE applicants and 24 or better for SSSCE applicants.
What are the Entry Requirements for Nurse Assistant Clinical Certificate
WASSCE/SSSCE Applicants: CREDIT PASSES (A1-C6/A-D) IN THE FOLLOWING CORE SUBJECTS:
- English
- Mathematics
- Integrated Science
CREDIT PASSES (A1-C6/A-D) IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
- General Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology)
- General Arts
- Home Economics (Food and Nutrition)
- General Agriculture with Chemistry or Physics
What is the cut-off point for Nurse Assistant Clinical Certificate in Ghana?
The cut-off point for a nurse assistant clinical certificate in Ghana is an aggregate of 36 or better for WASSCE applicants and 24 or better for SSSCE applicants.
Now that you have an idea of the available certification options and their requirements, let us now deal with the qualities of a good Nurse in Ghana.
What are the qualities of a good Ghanaian nurse?
Nurses are key components of the healthcare system and are therefore expected to exhibit some peculiar characteristics. It is therefore expedient that you try to emulate some of these qualities if you want to become a good Ghanaian nurse.
Because of their direct handling of patients, nurses are expected to:
- be very compassionate, caring, humble and understanding.
- have good communication skills
- be attentive to details
- be a time conscious
- be empathetic
- have a great sense of humor
- be respectful and accommodating to people
- be neat and advocate for cleanliness
- be passionate to help people and committed to their work
- have good problem solving skills
- be willing to learn
How long will it take me to become a nurse?
The duration of becoming a registered nurse in Ghana will depend on the academic program you choose to read.
Those who read a certificate in nursing programme may take just two years to become registered nurses in Ghana. If you offer a diploma in nursing, then you would require a minimum of three years to become a registered nurse in Ghana.
The Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing takes a minimum of four years to complete and become a nurse in Ghana.
However, irrespective of the route you take to become a nurse in Ghana, you will have to undergo a one year compulsory national service. During the national service, you will be posted to a health facility to offer your services as a nurse for a year.
After your one year compulsory national service, the search for a job then begins. Because of the high demand for nurses in Ghana, the government employs most nurses. You may therefore get the opportunity to work in any public/government health facility after your national service.
There are also a lot of private health facilities that require the services of a nurse and therefore, you may also decide to apply to a private facility to work there.
Now that you have known the salary of a Nurse in Ghana, how to become a Ghanaian Nurse as well as the responsibilities of nurses in Ghana, feel free to also check out:
- How to Check NMC Ghana Licensing Exam Results Online
- The different career opportunities in Nursing profession
- What is the salary of a midwife in Ghana
- What is Nurse Assistant Salary in Ghana
