In the recent few years, the most sought after Kenyan human resource globally has arguably been nurses and today I  highly doubt if there’s any country in the world without a Kenyan nurse. What does it take, therefore, to be a registered nurse in Kenya and qualify to practice nursing anywhere in the world? Minimum entry requirements for diploma and undergraduate degree For diploma in Kenya Registered Community Health Nursing (KRCHN), Þ    At least a mean grade of C(plain) Þ    At least a C plain in each of the cluster subjects (English/Kiswahili, Biology, Chemistry and a C-(minus) in Physics/Maths) For degree Bachelor of Science Nursing (BScN), Þ    At least a mean grade of C+ Þ    At least a C plain in each of the cluster subjects (English/Kiswahili, Biology, Chemistry and Physics/Maths) Þ    Alternative: Holders of a Diploma in Nursing from a Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) recognized institution with a credit or distinction, plus a valid NCK license and minimum 2 years’ experience. KUCCPS placement KUCCPS places undergraduate students to both public and private universities with a slightly higher cluster points requirement of between 36 and 42 for public universities and as low as 28 for some private institutions. KUCCPS also places diploma students at KMTC. Private universities and self-sponsorship in public universities Given the competitiveness of the course and its high demand, some students with a mean grade of less than a B plain may miss placement in government schools and if your family is in a position to pay your fees, SSP could be a good alternative for you. For most institutions like KU you will apply through eCitizen while for others you will apply directly through the school. There are a number of private institutions offering diploma and degree in nursing and before enrolment, it is highly advisable that one confirms that the institution is fully accredited by the Nursing Council of Kenya. Course duration and structure A diploma course typically takes 3 years with quite vigorous blend of clinical rotations and classwork for nearly all the 3 years. A degree course takes 4 years with little to no rotation during the first year depending on the institution. Second year is a transition year for most universities and by fourth year there are more clinicals than classwork. Upon graduation, diploma and degree holders must proceed to a typically one-year internship. Licensure Exam & Registration The Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) licensing exam is taken to become registered. While some initial assessments may occur before, full registration and licensing depend on the successful completion of the internship. However, diploma holders transitioning to BScN don’t have to undergo another internship since they already went through an internship before.  Since NCK is a member of International Council of Nurses (ICN), registration with NCK opens international doors for you and you don’t have to sit for any other nursing exam to practice in any country whose nurses are members of ICN. Tuition and funding Tuition fees for public universities and KMTC for diploma ranges from around KSh 78,000 to KSh 120,000 and a slightly higher figure for some private institutions. For degree in government schools, the fee ranges from KSh 150,000 to KSh 300,000. With the new funding model, government-sponsored students qualify for scholarships with different bands receiving different scholarship percentages as follows for both KMTC diploma and degree courses. ·       Band 1 - you get a 70% scholarship, 25% loan 5% household and up to KSh 60,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 2- you get a 60% scholarship, 30% loan 10% household and up to KSh 55,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 3- you get a 50% scholarship, 30% loan 20% household and up to KSh 50,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 4 - you get a 40% scholarship, 30% loan 30% household and up to KSh 45,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 5- you get a 30% scholarship, 30% loan 40% household and up to KSh 40,000 upkeep loan.

In the recent few years, the most sought after Kenyan human resource globally has arguably been nurses and today I  highly doubt if there’s any country in the world without a Kenyan nurse. What does it take, therefore, to be a registered nurse in Kenya and qualify to practice nursing anywhere in the world? Minimum entry requirements for diploma and undergraduate degree For diploma in Kenya Registered Community Health Nursing (KRCHN), Þ    At least a mean grade of C(plain) Þ    At least a C plain in each of the cluster subjects (English/Kiswahili, Biology, Chemistry and a C-(minus) in Physics/Maths) For degree Bachelor of Science Nursing (BScN), Þ    At least a mean grade of C+ Þ    At least a C plain in each of the cluster subjects (English/Kiswahili, Biology, Chemistry and Physics/Maths) Þ    Alternative: Holders of a Diploma in Nursing from a Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) recognized institution with a credit or distinction, plus a valid NCK license and minimum 2 years’ experience. KUCCPS placement KUCCPS places undergraduate students to both public and private universities with a slightly higher cluster points requirement of between 36 and 42 for public universities and as low as 28 for some private institutions. KUCCPS also places diploma students at KMTC. Private universities and self-sponsorship in public universities Given the competitiveness of the course and its high demand, some students with a mean grade of less than a B plain may miss placement in government schools and if your family is in a position to pay your fees, SSP could be a good alternative for you. For most institutions like KU you will apply through eCitizen while for others you will apply directly through the school. There are a number of private institutions offering diploma and degree in nursing and before enrolment, it is highly advisable that one confirms that the institution is fully accredited by the Nursing Council of Kenya. Course duration and structure A diploma course typically takes 3 years with quite vigorous blend of clinical rotations and classwork for nearly all the 3 years. A degree course takes 4 years with little to no rotation during the first year depending on the institution. Second year is a transition year for most universities and by fourth year there are more clinicals than classwork. Upon graduation, diploma and degree holders must proceed to a typically one-year internship. Licensure Exam & Registration The Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) licensing exam is taken to become registered. While some initial assessments may occur before, full registration and licensing depend on the successful completion of the internship. However, diploma holders transitioning to BScN don’t have to undergo another internship since they already went through an internship before.  Since NCK is a member of International Council of Nurses (ICN), registration with NCK opens international doors for you and you don’t have to sit for any other nursing exam to practice in any country whose nurses are members of ICN. Tuition and funding Tuition fees for public universities and KMTC for diploma ranges from around KSh 78,000 to KSh 120,000 and a slightly higher figure for some private institutions. For degree in government schools, the fee ranges from KSh 150,000 to KSh 300,000. With the new funding model, government-sponsored students qualify for scholarships with different bands receiving different scholarship percentages as follows for both KMTC diploma and degree courses. ·       Band 1 - you get a 70% scholarship, 25% loan 5% household and up to KSh 60,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 2- you get a 60% scholarship, 30% loan 10% household and up to KSh 55,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 3- you get a 50% scholarship, 30% loan 20% household and up to KSh 50,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 4 - you get a 40% scholarship, 30% loan 30% household and up to KSh 45,000 upkeep loan. ·       Band 5- you get a 30% scholarship, 30% loan 40% household and up to KSh 40,000 upkeep loan.