800 students to graduate hybrid nursing programme, expanding the health workforce

Guyana’s health sector is set for a major workforce boost with the rollout of a new hybrid nursing programme developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony made the announcement during the consideration of the national budget estimates.

The initiative was supported by US$1 million from the WHO through the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and implemented with technical collaboration from the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Professors from the university worked with Guyanese teams, while 30 local tutors were trained in Brazil to strengthen the delivery of the new curriculum.

“We have developed a new program. It’s called the hybrid program, and this program actually was developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation,” the health minister said.

Under the previous system, Guyana trained about 200 nurses annually across its three nursing schools.

The new hybrid model delivers theoretical instruction online through the Coursera platform, while practical training is conducted in newly established simulation centres across the country, followed by hospital exposure.

“We’ll have by June of this year, the first batch of close to 800 registered nurses that will be graduating,” the minister disclosed.

The programme is part of a broader training expected to see 5,000 individuals graduating this year across various health disciplines.

The hybrid nursing model has also attracted interest from several Caribbean countries facing similar shortages, with agreements expected to allow regional participation.

Additionally, the expansion of 130 telemedicine sites across Guyana is enabling residents in remote communities to access online nursing education without leaving their villages, significantly expanding access to professional training and strengthening the national health system.