By Martha Taumata Faavae
The Samoa Nurses Association added 88 new members into its roster of officially registered nurses last week in a promotional ceremony at the Tu’utu’uileloloto Hall last week.
The annual event formally accepts the new intake of male and female nurses as registered members of the association.
The added members are graduates of the National University of Samoa Faculty of Nurses as postgraduates and holders of degrees or diplomas in nursing.
The new registered nurses are made up of 7 diploma holders, 70 with Bachelors in Nursing and 11 with postgraduate certificates.
The new nursing group will be assigned to several areas of the national service in health centres around both Upolu and Savaii and the National TTM Hospital at Moto’otua.
Nursing and Mid-wifery ACEO Momoti Ulisese Tapuvae welcomes the added nursing staff but admits the high demand for nurses still remains.
“ The new intake will help fill in the staff gaps left by those who left the profession, moved out of the country, taken up a calling as wife of a church minister or become lecturers at the NUS Faculty of Nursing,” ACEO Tapuvae reviewed.
“ The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of added pressure on people to join the nurses profession.”
More than 200 nurses are currently serving at the National Health services in the country.