The Upper West Region has ten Tertiary Institutions Currently and they include Lawra Nursing Training College, Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education, Tumu Nursing Training College, Nandom Midwifery Training College, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University, Tumu College of Education, McCoy College of Education, Wa Nursing Training College, St. Joseph Nursing Training College – Jirapa.

The Oldest Tertiary Institution amongst them is the St. Joseph Nursing Training College that has Trained over 5,000 Nurses according to the School’s Principal, Mr. Vincent Kojo Tanye in an interview with Upper West Media Team.

The School Started Operation in 1954 As the only Tertiary Institution in Upper West Region.

The Nursing Training College, Jirapa was established along side the Midwifery Training School in 1954 by the efforts of the white catholic missionaries in Jirapa led by Rev. Sr. Cyprian Mary Swales of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM), a trained nurse and midwife.
The establishment of the College was recommended by Dr. Cheverton, Chief Medical Officer who was impressed by a visit to Jirapa hospital in 1951. For the sake of accreditation by the Ministry of Health, Miss Marie White, a senior nursing tutor of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital was assigned to see the suitability of Jirapa Hospital and to report her findings to the Nurses’ Board. The report was submitted and the permission was granted to start Qualified Registered Nursing (QRN), a one and a half year general nursing programme.

The QRN became obsolete and was replaced with the Enrolled General Nursing (EGN) in august 1969. The EGN was also replaced with three year State Registered Nursing (SRN) in February 1981. Since June 1999, the current Registered General Nursing (RGN) replaced the SRN programme.

The College is an agency institution under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG). It is managed by the catholic bishop of the Wa Diocese and subvented by Ghana Government with it’s human and material resources. The College also receive applicants from anywhere in Ghana and even abroad.

Source: Upperwestmedia.net