About the Department
The Department of Nursing Science, University of Jos, was established in 2003 within the College of Health Sciences, then Faculty of Medical Sciences, and belongs to the baccalaureate tradition of nursing education introduced into Nigeria in 1973. It was constituted from inception as a degree-awarding department, its Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc.) curriculum modelled on accredited programmes nationally and internationally, and structured to integrate theoretical instruction in the biological, behavioural and nursing sciences with sustained supervised practice in the clinical setting.
The Department's stated purpose is the preparation of polyvalent nurse practitioners: graduates competent to discharge professional responsibilities independently and in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team, and grounded in the ethical, scientific and humanistic foundations of contemporary nursing practice.
Over the course of two decades the Department has developed through the successive stewardship of its coordinators and heads of department, each of whom advanced its academic programmes, quality assurance mechanisms and clinical partnerships. The first formal induction of graduates into professional practice, conducted in 2017 in fulfilment of the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, marked the entry of the pioneer cohort into the national professional register. Sustained institutional investment in faculty, facilities and clinical placement thereafter permitted a progressive expansion of student intake and the consolidation of collaborative arrangements with the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau Specialist Hospital and Our Lady of Apostles Hospital, Jos. In January 2022 the programme was awarded full professional accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and its candidates have returned consistently high pass rates in the national professional examinations.
The Department now offers instruction at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the latter comprising the Master of Science, Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, with specialization in medical-surgical nursing, community health nursing, maternal and child health nursing, mental and psychiatric health nursing, nursing education, nursing management and administration. Its current priorities are the strengthening of graduate research capacity, the expansion of clinical and academic partnerships, and the continued refinement of specialist tracks within the curriculum.
In pursuing these objectives, the Department seeks to consolidate the position of the University of Jos as a regional center for nursing education, and to produce practitioners, educators and researchers equipped to address contemporary public health challenges with technical competence, ethical commitment and compassion.
