Nursing is a very lucrative health science course in Nigeria. The course offers lots of opportunities for its graduates. Nursing science falls under the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences. If you are interested in this profession and want to know how to begin a career in nursing, advance your studies and the requirements for doing so, you are in the right place. This article will provide you with all you need to know as regards Msc. in Nursing, requirements, career opportunities and universities that offer this program. Read on below:
There are three ways you can become a registered midwife or nurse in Nigeria.
MSc Nursing in Nigeria & Requirements
These are:
The 5-year Generic BNSc Nursing program.
This program is designed to make you a full nursing practitioner. At the end of this program, graduates will have a General Nursing program qualification, Midwifery program qualification and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BNSc)
The 3- year basic midwifery training program
The only drawback to this route is that often times, upon qualification as a registered midwife, most organizations still demand double qualified practitioners.
The 3- year basic General Nursing program
This 3-year program is not inclusive of the 6 months spent in PTS. This and the midwifery program used to be hospital-based programs with professional licenses only for academic purposes but this has been upgraded to accommodate employment purposes also.
These three routes require same entry qualification requirements which are:
Five credit level passes at O’ level examinations, SSCE/NECO/NABTEB/GCE or any other equivalent examination. Subjects must include Mathematics, English language, Biology, Physics, Chemistry. The result must be obtained in not more than two sittings.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, one can further advance his/her studies by applying for a Masters in Nursing Science. In Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs, students learn about nursing law, nursing ethics, human resources, nursing curriculum development and healthcare business practices.
Nursing students are taught about how to improve their communication, solve problems and make wise decisions that will affect the lives of others. Masters of Nursing Science students train to be skilled nurses who can take command of situations, offer expert knowledge in their various areas of specialization and provide primary care.
Graduates of master’s degree programs in nursing are able to work as advanced practice nurses thereby providing healthcare to families and communities. They can also become educators or instructors in academic or healthcare settings.
General requirements for Masters Degree Programs in Nigerian universities
Candidates with the following qualifications may apply for admission into Masters Programmes:
- Graduates from accredited Universities who hold a degree in relevant courses to the proposed field of study with minimum FCGPA of 3.00 on a 5 point scale or a minimum of 60% for Universities that do not use FCGPA
- Holders of Postgraduate Diploma from recognized institutions with an FCGPA of 3.50 and above (on a 5 point scale).
Admissions Requirements for MSc. Nursing
Most institutions require a bachelor’s degree, a current registered nurse license, and clinical work experience. Some also require interviews.
- An applicant to the M.Sc. (Nursing) programme must possess a Bachelor of Nursing degree with a minimum of second class lower division or a CGPA of 3.5 on a scale of 5 from any accredited Nigerian university. (Some universities accept 3.0)
- Five credit passes at O’ level examinations
- Candidates who have a Higher National Diploma (HND) in the following:
Public Health Nursing
Midwifery and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
Obtained from a programme recognized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, with or without a bachelor’s degree may be considered for M.Sc. in Community/Public Health Nursing, Midwifery (Maternal/Child Health) Nursing and Mental Health Nursing.
Such candidates, however, will be required to take courses in specialized areas of nursing at the 500 level. In addition, these candidates must possess a postgraduate diploma (PGD) in Nursing Education from an accredited University programme
- Each applicant must be currently registered as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria
- Candidates are usually expected to have their transcript from the university in which they obtained their Bachelors of Nursing degree
- Recommendation letters from former lecturers at their undergraduate school
- NYSC certificate
- In most institutions, candidates seeking admission are subjected to a qualifying examination.
These are general requirements, however, you should check out the specific requirements of the school you wish to apply to as some details might differ.
Most universities offer M.Sc (Nursing Science) with specialization in areas of nursing. Some institutions may require students to choose a specific area in which to conduct their research. Below are the specialties in which you can earn your master’s degree in Nursing in Nigeria:
- Adult Health/Medical-Surgical Nursing
- Community Health Nursing
- Maternal/Child Health Nursing
- Mental Health Nursing
- Nursing Education
- Nursing Administration & Management
Note that all universities run these specialties. Some run two while some may have all options.
Generally. A master’s degree program will teach you about leadership, management, policies, and finance. Topics that students could examine in a Masters of Nursing include:
- Nursing research
- Nursing theory
- Nursing education evaluation
- Healthcare management
- Regulatory issues
- Advanced practice nursing leadership skills
Universities, where you can earn an Msc. in Nursing in Nigeria, are:
- University of Calabar
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- University of Benin
- Niger Delta University
- University of Ibadan
- Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
- Babcock university Ilishan Remo
- Ahmadu Bello University
Career Options available for Graduates of Masters degree in Nursing
A Masters degree in nursing science increases one’s chances of getting a job and opens up career paths in various fields which include:
- Teaching
- Research and healthcare management
- Nurse Practitioner
- Director of Nursing
- Patient Care Coordinator
- Nurse anesthetist
- Nurse practitioner
- Nurse midwife
- Nursing director
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Nursing consultant
- Research nurse
- Nurse educator
- Nurse administrator
- Advanced nurse practitioner
- Clinical nurse specialist
Graduates of these programs may also pursue managerial positions such as chief nursing officers, directors of nursing, services patient care coordinators or quality assurance nurses.