Nurse recruitment goes digital

Forward Nyanyiwa Correspondent
Government has introduced an electronic recruiting policy for aspiring nurses, starting with this year’s September intake to ensure accountability and clamp down on corruption.

Director of Nursing Services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Mrs Cynthia Chasokela said the digital recruitment policy was the brainchild of the Health Ministry and Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT).

“The ministry will, starting with this September’s student nurse intake, introduce electronic selection for aspiring nurses countrywide in a new policy that was necessitated by a public outcry over the way recruiting processes were being held previously.

“We partnered Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) in coming up with the new system which will see people downloading forms from our website and filling in before they resend for consideration.

“The interviews will then be done by a panel of experts before successful candidates are advised through their e-mails. This is a positive way for the profession as we endeavour to curb corrupt practices and also moving along with modern trends in this ever diversifying profession,” said Mrs Chasokela.

She said all nursing schools countrywide will recruit students using that platform.

“Let’s say Marondera School of Nursing wants to recruit students, they will advise us and we flight the advert on our website for them.

“We are actually working with Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to have an EcoCash platform on which students pay their $10 interview fee before they come for the interviews. We will then advise the nursing school of successful candidates for enrolment.

“Every nursing school in the country will use this method and we want to urge the public to start using our digital platform as soon as we flight for this September intakes,” she added.

Mrs Chasokela said the revised entry requirements still stand while applicants must be aged between 17-and-a-half years and 30 years.

“Our revised entry requirements are standing as they are. That is five Ordinary Level subjects including Mathematics, English and a Science subject.

“Practical subjects are not included and the person must be aged between 17-and-a-half years to 30 years and we need certificates not results slips,” she said.