The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) Youth Committee has called for greater inclusion of young nurses and midwives in health policy discussions, while urging the government to accelerate the recruitment of unemployed professionals into the health sector.
The call was made during the commemoration of International Youth Day and the GRNMA Youth Boot Camp, held under the theme “Shaping the Future: Youth Voices in Nursing and Midwifery.”
Acting National Youth Coordinator and Chairperson of the GRNMA Youth Committee, Mrs Laurena Blaber, said young nurses and midwives must be placed at the centre of discussions on health policy, curriculum development, digital health, research and advocacy.
She said youth participation should go beyond speaking at conferences to actively leading projects and contributing to solutions that improve patient care and the health system.
“It means that the youth must be at the centre of policy discussions, curriculum reviews, digital health, research and advocacy. It means our voices must be heard on safe staffing, mental health support, clinical placement and the welfare of students and newly qualified staff,” Mrs Blaber said.
She stressed that the Youth Boot Camp was designed not merely as a training programme but as a platform for developing future leaders within the nursing and midwifery profession.
According to her, participants would undergo seminars on professionalism and trade union leadership, practical skills training and an inter-zonal peace competition aimed at building competent and confident young leaders.
“Over the years, we have seen many young nurses and midwives who come to Youth Boot Camp gain confidence, build networks and go on to contest and win various positions in their facilities and districts within GRNMA,” she said.
Call for recruitment of unemployed nurses
Mrs Blaber identified unemployment among newly trained nurses and midwives as one of the major challenges facing young professionals.
While commending the government for recent recruitment into the health sector, she said a significant number of nurses and midwives from the 2021, 2022 and 2024 cohorts were still without jobs.
“We commend the government for the recent recruitment of nurses and midwives. It gives hope and shows commitment to the health sector. However, we still have hundreds of our colleagues from the 2021, 2022 and 2024 years who remain unemployed,” she said.
She appealed to the government to provide comprehensive and timely financial clearance and a recruitment plan to absorb the outstanding professionals.
“When our youth are employed, patients get care and the health system gets stronger,” she stressed.
Mrs Blaber further challenged young nurses and midwives to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the association to develop their leadership skills and contribute to healthcare delivery.
GRNMA President urges young professionals to innovate
President of the GRNMA, Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, urged young nurses and midwives to see themselves not only as future leaders but as active leaders and innovators capable of transforming healthcare.
She said the ideas, experiences and innovations of young professionals were critical to improving healthcare delivery, advancing technology and protecting the dignity and welfare of health workers.
Mrs Ofori-Ampofo commended the GRNMA Youth Committee for sustaining the Youth Boot Camp and urged participants to use the experience to contribute meaningfully to the development of the profession.
She also highlighted the work of a young nursing officer at Ridge Hospital, Dr Benson Owusu, who developed the Benson’s Gravity NG Tube Holder to address challenges associated with nasogastric tube feeding and aspiration.
According to her, the device has been used at Ridge Hospital for about two years and has gone through the patenting process, with plans for commercial production.
Mrs Ofori-Ampofo said Dr Owusu had also pledged to allocate one per cent of the returns from the commercialisation of the innovation to the GRNMA Health Fund to support members who require assistance with healthcare needs not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
She used the example to encourage young nurses and midwives to document and protect their innovations.
“When you innovate something, own it. Own it. If you innovated it, own it,” she said.
She explained that proper documentation would also be important for professionals seeking recognition under the association’s national awards programme.
She urged innovators to document their work, demonstrate its application and evaluate its impact so that their contributions could be properly recognised.
Mrs Ofori-Ampofo said the GRNMA, as part of its 66th anniversary in March 2026 had reviewed its strategic plan and developed a new plan running through 2030, alongside various welfare initiatives and policies aimed at strengthening the organisation and improving the wellbeing of its members.
