GUEST COLUMN – No class act

FOR MANY years some individuals who completed the course in the care of the elderly experienced difficulty finding employment, and not because there were no vacancies, but because they did not take the course at the Sammuel Jackson Prescod Polytechnic. The seed was sown in the minds of many that the certificate given by the polytechnic was recognised and more likely to assist them in attaining employment, particularly in a Government health and care facility. To this end there were some who took the course with other institutions and thereafter went on to take it at the polytechnic, thus paying two sets of fees for the same course, something that they hardly could afford.I think it is time, however, that the difficulties that many of these students experienced in an attempt to prepare themselves for the workforce be highlighted.The word polytechnic no doubt has a psychological impact on individuals as they seek to make a choice of venues to take the course, but I am sure that many are unaware of the fact that those persons now teaching the course in the care of the elderly were not the first to start this course, neither were they the first to use the facilities at the polytechnic for such a course.These are many who co-ordinated and taught the course in the care of the elderly for more than two decades and I am sure that some of the students are working as staff nurses in a health care facility and also managing their own senior citizens home.The General Nursing Council has taken a step in the right direction by putting together a syllabus for the training of nursing auxiliaries, which means that all involved in teaching this course must use the same syllabus. So there should be no question about the value of certificates in the future.Although I believe that this is the right thing to do, it is necessary that the General Nursing Council get back to the drawing board. They were insensitive in the way they went about making changes,  unintentionally discrediting those persons who taught the course for many years and failing to register some individuals. The reasons for non-registration just do not make sense. Many of these persons were working for years and now find themselves, if employed, apparently threatened with dismissal because they were not registered. Yet they have a certificate and are now expected to do a six-month course in order to be registered. It would be better if they can be registered as auxiliaries and then be given the opportunity to apply for the six-month course if they have the appropriate prerequisites. As I see it, the syllabus is more for nursing assistants. At least they would not be targets for elimination from the workforce.Two evenings a week, most of them came from work to classes and could hardly afford the fee.At present in order to take the six-month course and cover the number of teaching forms, those interested  have to attend classes at least three evenings a week for three hours and a Saturday at least four hours. This can be difficult for people who are working. You can be in a classroom for three hours after work and learn very little, so it may be worth it to extend the period and cut down on the hours in the evening and weekends, considering those with a family.