Internal quality assurance practices of nursing and midwifery training colleges and the role of regulatory bodies: The perspectives of health tutors

Abstract

In the era of quality orientation, human rights, and a consumer-driven society, Nursing and Midwifery Education Institutions (NMEI) are expected to produce qualified graduates who will meet the needs and expectations of society. The aim of the study was to assess the internal quality assurance practices of Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges (NMTCs) in the Northern Region of Ghana. An analytical cross-sectional design was adopted for the study with a sample size of eighty-eight (88). Purposive sampling method was used to select health tutors (participants) from three NMTCs in the Northern Region of Ghana. Data for the study were collected with a questionnaire and analysed. The study revealed that the NMTCs have quality assurance units/committees responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. In this study, only 39.8% of the health tutors were satisfied with the monitoring and inspection of training institutions by regulatory bodies. The results show a significant difference among the perspectives of the health tutors on the implementation of staff professional development (F(2, 87) = 4.74, p = .011), academic staffs motivation in the direction of refining the value of academic programs (F(2, 87) = 3.43, p = .037), working conditions of staffs (F(2, 87) = 3.32, p = .041) and the effectiveness of quality assurance systems in enhancing the quality of teaching and assessment (F(2, 87) = 3.27, p = .043). There is the need to ensure uniformity in staff professional development, working conditions, and motivation of health tutors in the training institutions. Regulatory bodies must intensify the monitoring of NMTCs and offer accreditation to new NMTCs based on the state of educational resources and facilities.