Mbarara University School of Medicine Nursing Department

PROGRAMS IN NURSING

BNS Program

Direct Entry
The Direct Entry BNS is an eight-semester four-year programme. The program course reflects nursing as a science discipline, including courses that include concepts, theories, conceptual models and principles, whose aim is to explain and predict nursing practice. Nursing practice applies the use of cognitive, psychomotor and affective actions to assist clients achieve their optimum health potential.

The BNSc programme was established in the Faculty of Medicine of Mbarara University of Science and Technology in 1999, to prepare graduates with competencies in nursing, midwifery, and primary health care (community nursing) and research.   The programme emphasizes application of the nursing process as a framework for all nursing practice at all levels of health care delivery. The main goal of the BNSc programme is to educate nurses to improve the quality of healthcare services for the community through a holistic and integrated approach.  The programme also aims at preparing a nurse who is responsive to the market demands by innovative staff teaching methodologies that engage students in self directed learning.

Completion Program
The Completion Program is a two-year intensive program comprising of 4 semesters.  This program is designed for health care professionals who are registered nurses, registered midwives, comprehensive nurses, or holders of a diploma in nursing from a recognized and accredited school, have been in practice at least two years of active service, and want to pursue a vertical nursing career growth. The BNSc completion programme was established in the Faculty of Medicine at MUST in 2002, to prepare graduate nurses with competencies in nursing, midwifery, primary health care (community nursing), education and research. Like the traditional four-year BNSc degree program, the emphasis of this alternative university-degree program is the attainment of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a baccalaureate-prepared nurse. The program of study focuses on professional nursing and midwifery, and basic science content. The programme emphasizes application of the nursing process as a framework for all nursing, midwifery and primary health-care practice, at all levels of health care delivery.

MNS Program
The MNS is a specialization program for BNSc registered nurses who wish to expand their nursing expertise.  Critical Care Nurse Specialist is the first specialization to be offered in August of 2014, and will educate nurses in the management of the critically ill patient (adult and child) population. The outcome of this program will provide diverse professional opportunities for the graduates, such as delivering complex direct patient care, organizing services and resources, educating nurses and healthcare professionals to improve healthcare delivery, and working with an interdisciplinary team.   This program will help build the necessary competencies in both clinical theory-based and research-based nursing practices.  In the future, other Master’s specializations will be introduced, including Nursing Supervision and Management and Acute Pediatrics.
The Critical Care program is two years (4 semesters), and includes both theoretical and clinical courses.  It is composed of 34 credits of core courses and 29 credits of specialization courses that include advanced health assessment of adults and children, advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology, and 3 advanced clinical courses.

HOW TO APPLY