A strategy for training pre-service competent nurses using appropriate course sequencing in the North West region of Cameroon

Purpose: To analyse views of students in their training using appropriate sequencing, to investigate the views of nurse educators and other stakeholder for the training of pre-service competent nurse using appropriate sequencing, to analyse uptake measures and develop strategies for training pre-service competent nurse. Method: A mixed research methodology was used and qualitative data was collected using interviews. A cross sectional design was used to collect Quantitative data using questionnaires systematically from a sample of 381 students’ stakeholders 1, conservatively from 24 nurse educators’ stakeholders 2, purposively from 27 other stakeholders ( policy makers, head of nursing association, head of departments, directors of nursing institutions, using a multistage sampling approach. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 10.5, qualitative data from interview transcripts were analysed through NVIVO 9. Findings: Majority students viewed that there was inequitable time between theory and practice as the time allocated for theoretical courses is very long such that students do not have much time to practice in clinical sites immediately after they finish each course. The differences in terms of perfect match between theoretical courses and clinical courses was statistically significant (P=0.028).  Most students (42.9%) view that there is inadequate sequencing of courses as some courses in the course content were to be taught before others were not, and some which were supposed to be in the training program were left out. For the course content, the difference in students’ views was statistically significant (P=0.002). Findings from nurse educators’ views revealed that there is some content lacking in the training syllabus that ought to be there and this was statistically significant with (P=0.049).Most of the nurse educators (50%) viewed limited sequencing of courses in the program as they sometimes decide to teach a particular content before another even though it has been arranged differently in the content. Student nurses being well grounded in theory (memorizing large volume before going for clinical experience was statistically significant (P = 0.031). Mostother stakeholders (directors, managers, head of departments of nursing schools,) view that there are some practical demonstration courses are lacking in the training programand student have longer periods of theory before internship. Most stakeholders 50% viewed that there was no nurse autonomy to influence course sequencing in the training program.