Certificate in Nursing and Midwifery

The Certificate in Nursing and Midwifery prepares students for foundational roles in general nursing and maternal-child health care. The program covers core nursing principles, clinical procedures, maternal and newborn care, family planning, and professional ethics. Through a blend of theory, skills demonstrations, and supervised clinical practice, graduates will be equipped to provide safe, competent, and compassionate care in hospital, clinic, and community maternal health settings.

Section 1: Orientation & Foundations of Nursing

Lesson 1.1 — Welcome to the Certificate in Nursing and Midwifery

• Duration: 20m
• Description: Introduces the course structure, learning outcomes, clinical placement requirements, and certification pathway for the one-year program.

Lesson 1.2 — History and Philosophy of Nursing

• Duration: 40m
• Description: Traces the development of nursing as a profession and introduces core nursing values such as care, advocacy, and accountability.

Lesson 1.3 — The Healthcare Team and the Nurse’s Role

• Duration: 35m
• Description: Defines the scope of practice for a certificate-level nurse within a multidisciplinary care team and outlines lines of supervision and referral.

Lesson 1.4 — Nursing Process Overview

• Duration: 45m
• Description: Introduces the five steps of the nursing process — assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation — as a framework for patient care.

Section 2: Anatomy, Physiology & Basic Pathophysiology

Lesson 2.1 — Human Body Systems Review

• Duration: 1h
• Description: A structured review of major body systems with emphasis on the structures and functions most relevant to nursing care.

Lesson 2.2 — Vital Signs and Physical Assessment

• Duration: 1h
• Description: Builds on basic vital signs measurement with structured head-to-toe physical assessment techniques used in nursing practice.

Lesson 2.3 — Introduction to Common Disease Conditions

• Duration: 50m
• Description: Covers the basics of common communicable and non-communicable diseases nurses encounter, including signs, symptoms, and nursing considerations.

Lesson 2.4 — Pharmacology Basics for Nurses

• Duration: 1h
• Description: Introduces drug classifications, the rights of medication administration, dosage calculation basics, and common side effects to monitor.

Section 3: Core Clinical Nursing Procedures

Lesson 3.1 — Infection Prevention and Aseptic Technique

• Duration: 45m
• Description: Reinforces hand hygiene, PPE use, and sterile technique as applied specifically to clinical nursing procedures.

Lesson 3.2 — Medication Administration

• Duration: 1h
• Description: Covers safe administration of oral, topical, and injectable medications, including dosage verification and documentation requirements.

Lesson 3.3 — Wound Care and Dressing Techniques

• Duration: 50m
• Description: Demonstrates assessment and dressing of wounds, including aseptic dressing change technique and signs of infection to monitor.

Lesson 3.4 — Intravenous (IV) Therapy Basics

• Duration: 1h
• Description: Introduces IV fluid administration principles, monitoring for complications, and the nurse’s role in supporting IV therapy under supervision.

Lesson 3.5 — Specimen Collection

• Duration: 40m
• Description: Covers correct procedures for collecting blood, urine, and other specimens for laboratory testing, including labeling and handling standards.

Section 4: Maternal Health & Antenatal Care

Lesson 4.1 — Introduction to Maternal and Child Health

• Duration: 40m
• Description: Provides an overview of maternal and child health priorities, including the continuum of care from pregnancy through postpartum.

Lesson 4.2 — Antenatal Care and Assessment

• Duration: 1h
• Description: Covers routine antenatal visits, monitoring fetal growth, identifying danger signs in pregnancy, and health education for expectant mothers.

Lesson 4.3 — Nutrition in Pregnancy

• Duration: 35m
• Description: Explains nutritional needs during pregnancy and how to counsel mothers on diet, supplementation, and healthy weight gain.

Lesson 4.4 — Common Complications in Pregnancy

• Duration: 50m
• Description: Introduces warning signs such as pre-eclampsia, bleeding, and infection, and the appropriate response and referral pathway.

Section 5: Labour, Delivery & Postnatal Care

Lesson 5.1 — Stages of Labour

• Duration: 1h
• Description: Describes the physiological stages of labour and the nurse-midwife’s role in monitoring progress and supporting the mother.

Lesson 5.2 — Assisting Normal Delivery

• Duration: 1h
• Description: Covers safe delivery practices, immediate newborn care, and essential supplies required for a clean and safe birth.

Lesson 5.3 — Recognizing Birth Complications

• Duration: 50m
• Description: Introduces common complications during delivery, including obstructed labour and postpartum hemorrhage, and emergency referral steps.

Lesson 5.4 — Postnatal Care for Mother and Newborn

• Duration: 45m
• Description: Covers postpartum monitoring, newborn assessment, breastfeeding support, and danger signs in the postnatal period.

Lesson 5.5 — Family Planning and Birth Spacing

• Duration: 40m
• Description: Introduces common family planning methods, counseling approaches, and the nurse’s role in supporting informed reproductive choices.

Section 6: Child Health & Immunization

Lesson 6.1 — Growth and Development Monitoring

• Duration: 40m
• Description: Covers tracking child growth milestones and using growth charts to identify malnutrition or developmental concerns.

Lesson 6.2 — Childhood Immunization Schedules

• Duration: 35m
• Description: Introduces the standard immunization schedule, vaccine storage basics, and safe administration practices.

Lesson 6.3 — Common Childhood Illnesses

• Duration: 50m
• Description: Covers recognition and basic management of common childhood conditions such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, and malaria.

Section 7: Patient Care Ethics & Communication

Lesson 7.1 — Nursing Ethics and Patient Rights

• Duration: 40m
• Description: Covers informed consent, confidentiality, patient dignity, and ethical decision-making in everyday nursing practice.

Lesson 7.2 — Therapeutic Communication Skills

• Duration: 35m
• Description: Teaches effective, empathetic communication techniques for interacting with patients, mothers, and families under stress.

Lesson 7.3 — Documentation and Patient Records

• Duration: 30m
• Description: Covers accurate charting, maternal health record-keeping, and legal considerations in nursing documentation.

Lesson 7.4 — Cultural Sensitivity in Maternal Care

• Duration: 30m
• Description: Explores culturally respectful approaches to maternal and child health care within diverse community settings.

Section 8: Clinical Attachment (Practicum)

Lesson 8.1 — Clinical Attachment Orientation

• Duration: 30m
• Description: Prepares students for their supervised hospital and maternity ward placement, covering expectations and evaluation criteria.

Lesson 8.2 — Supervised Ward Rotation

• Duration: 8 weeks (placement)
• Description: Hands-on, supervised practice across general nursing and maternity wards, applying skills learned throughout the course under qualified clinical supervision.

Lesson 8.3 — Supervised Maternity & Antenatal Clinic Rotation

• Duration: 4 weeks (placement)
• Description: Focused supervised placement in antenatal clinics and labour wards to build direct experience in maternal and newborn care.

Section 9: Final Assessment

Lesson 9.1 — Course Review and Revision

• Duration: 1h
• Description: A consolidated review of nursing and midwifery concepts across all sections to prepare students for final certification.