GLIMPSES ON THE LIFE OF A NURSE AT MOKOKCHUNG
By Odisola Ozukum.
The General Nursing Medicine (GNM) School attached to the District Hospital Mokokchung has a capacity to train 20 new students per year. The required minimum education qualification is 12+ and above. Though the seat is limited to 20 seats per year, in an average, 29 to 39 new students are selected for the training each year at the School of Nursing at Mokokchung. The successful candidates are then lodged at the GNM hostel, and attached to the District Hospital for their practical for a period of 3 years plus another 6 months internship period before they can finally pass out from the institute. Approximately, the students attend 4 classes per day over and above which, they work at the Hospital averaging 5 to 12 hours per day.
For a hostel which could hardly accommodate 80 students, currently 141 nursing students are packed in 10 dormitories and 3 cabins. The hostel comprises of 9 toilets and 6 bathrooms without adequate water supply. To fetch a gallon of water from the well for personal toiletries, the students spends 20 minutes to even up to 3 hours during dry seasons since they have to wait in long queues at the well.
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Cozy GNM Hostel |
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GNM Hostel Dormitories |
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Nurse, Please Make me Comfortable
She is the first person that a patient meets while coming to the hospital seeking treatment and for most people; she may be the last person to see before going to the nether world. A doctor prescribes, but it is the nurse who actually cares for the patient 24 hours a day.
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