The three medical institutions that make up Saint Veronica Medical Centre in Buea, graduated 272 nurses recently.

The St Francis Higher Institute of Nursing and Midwifery that runs a Higher National Diplomat under the auspices of the University of Buea, sent out 19 Medical Laboratory Technicians, 83 from Nursing Sciences with Higher National Diploma Certificates and 47 Students with Bachelors of Nursing Science Degree.

The St Francis School of Nursing and Midwifery on its part graduated 29 Nursing Assistants for its 7th batch and six State Registered Nurses specialized in Reproductive Health. The school is among the eight institutions chosen by the Ministry of Public Health for the training of State Registered Midwives in Cameroon. Lastly, the St Francis School of Health Sciences supervised by the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training graduated 78 Nurses, two Geriatric Nurses, six Medical Secretaries and two Medical Sales Representatives.

The Administrator of St Veronica Medical Centre, Mrs. Francisca Biaka, in her welcome address applauded the graduates for their efforts. She told the outgoing nurses to be good ambassadors of the Centre and urged them to exercise their medical abilities with confidence. " You are now armed with one of the most important tools needed to forge your path ahead. It is not the diploma itself that counts. It's about what you have learned along the way and what you do with the education you have gotten in your journey to graduation today. The future is in your hands," she advised.

The overall best graduating nurse, Ambe Nicoline Bi, had a Grade Point Average of 3.63. Talking to CT, she traced her academic course. "It was a hard race to run but I have finished it today. Four years is the time frame for me to have earned this degree. It started with a HND Programme that runs for three years. The final exam was organized by the Ministry of Higher Education in which I came fourth nationwide. The last year is this programme supervised by the University of Buea which has earned me a Bachelor Degree in Nursing." As of the moment Ambe Nicoline Bi, plans to take a Masters programme in Public Health.

The graduating nurses took the Florence Nightingale Oath and were then pronounced fully fledged nurses by the South West Coordinator of Nurses Association, Mofor Moses. The event ended with the award of prizes to all outstanding nurses in all the disciplines.