*Photo Credit: @PatsTune* – A nurse in a library

Nursing is one of the most vital professions in Ghana’s healthcare system, playing a central role in patient care, public health, and maternal and child wellbeing. To meet the country’s growing healthcare demands, various public institutions across Ghana offer structured nursing education programs at both diploma and degree levels.

These programs are available in general nursing and specialised fields such as midwifery, mental health nursing, and community health nursing. This article explores the different types of nursing courses available in Ghana, highlighting the specific public universities and nursing training colleges that offer them, and providing insight into the structure and focus of each program.

Public nursing colleges (state-run under the Ministry of Health) offer three-year diploma programs in core nursing fields. The main courses and some key institutions include:

1. Registered General Nursing (Diploma, 3 years):

The Registered General Nursing (RGN) diploma focuses on foundational nursing skills, patient care, and medical-surgical nursing across all age groups. The Registered Midwifery program trains students in maternal and newborn care, antenatal services, labour management, and postnatal support—typically open to females only. This foundational program is offered at all government nursing colleges.

For instance, Korle-Bu Nurses’ Training School (Accra) offers RGN, as do Greater Accra’s Pantang and Teshie Nursing & Midwifery Training Colleges. In the Ashanti Region, Kumasi Nurses’ Training College, SDA Kwadaso NT College and Mampong NT College run the Registered General Nursing diploma. Other examples include Sunyani NT College (Brong-Ahafo) and Tamale NT College (Northern Region), among many others.

2. Registered Midwifery (Diploma, 3 years, females only):

The Registered Midwifery program trains students in maternal and newborn care, antenatal services, labour management, and postnatal support—typically open to females only. Midwifery diplomas are offered at many of the same colleges (often as the female-only stream).

For example, Korle-Bu, Pantang and Teshie all offer midwifery. In their programs, the Ashanti Region, Kumasi NT College, SDA Kwadaso and Mampong include midwifery. Other midwifery schools include Holy Family NMTC (Berekum), Tarkwa Midwifery Training School, Agogo Presbyterian Midwifery College, and many regional midwifery training schools (Jaachie Pramso, Yeji, Hohoe, etc.), each granting the 3‑year Registered Midwife diploma.

3. Registered Mental Health Nursing (Diploma, 3 years):

The Registered Mental Health Nursing diploma prepares students to assess, manage, and support individuals with mental and psychiatric conditions in hospitals and community settings. Specialized 3‑year training for psychiatric/mental health nursing is available at select public colleges.

Notable schools include Pantang Nurses’ Training College (Greater Accra), Ankaful Nurses’ Training College (Central Region) and Yendi Nurses’ Training College (North East). These institutions offer the Registered Mental Health Nursing diploma (often open to both genders). The University of Ghana’s nursing program also qualifies its graduates for RMN registration, but at the diploma level, these dedicated psychiatric nursing colleges supply RMN personnel nationwide.

4. Registered Community (Public Health) Nursing (Diploma, 3 years):

The Registered Community Health Nursing program emphasises public health education, disease prevention, and basic treatment in rural and underserved areas, equipping graduates to work in community clinics and outreach services.Community/Public Health Nursing diplomas are taught at specialised public schools that focus on preventive and community care.

For example, the Public Health Nurses’ Training School at Korle-Bu (Accra) awards a Public Health Nursing diploma. In the regions, schools like Winneba Community Health Nurses’ Training College (Central) and Akim Oda Community Health Nurses’ Training School (Eastern) offer a Registered Community Nurse (RCN/PHN) diploma. In the North, Tamale Community Health Nurses’ Training School (Northern) also provides the 3-year Community Health Nursing diploma. (Graduates are often called “public health nurses” in practice.)

Each public nursing training college is accredited by the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Ghana to offer these diplomas. Together, the colleges listed above (and others in each region) ensure that Ghana’s health facilities are staffed by graduates of Registered General Nursing, Registered Midwifery, Registered Mental Health Nursing, and Registered Community Health Nursing programs, all at the diploma level.

Public University Nursing Degree Programs

Ghana’s public universities offer four-year Bachelor of Science nursing programs with various specialisations.

For example, the University of Ghana (Legon) runs a 4‑year BSc Nursing degree with final-year options in Paediatrics, General Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Community Health Nursing, and Midwifery. Their Graduate School also runs a Master of Science (MSc) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Nursing programmes for 12 and 24 months duration respectively.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi) likewise offers a 4‑year BSc Nursing program (launched when the Nursing Department became a full School of Nursing and Midwifery).

At the University of Cape Coast (Cape Coast), the School of Nursing and Midwifery provides four distinct BSc degrees: Adult Health Nursing (general nursing), Mental Health Nursing, Maternal & Child Health Nursing (midwifery), and Public Health Nursing.

The University of Health and Allied Sciences (Ho) has a School of Nursing and Midwifery offering BSc programs in Nursing (General), Midwifery, and Public Health Nursing.

The University for Development Studies (Tamale) offers Bachelor’s degrees in Nursing, Midwifery, and Paediatric Nursing.

In summary, public universities in Ghana cover all nursing fields at the degree level – general nursing, midwifery, mental health nursing and community/public health nursing – with each institution listing exactly the programs above.