UI to open classes for nurses

JAKARTA: The School of Nursing at the University of Indonesia (UI) is offering nurses diploma or extension programs.

The diploma program is offered to nursing graduates while those who already have diplomas can earn a degree by attending the extension program.

School of Nursing dean Elly Nurachmah T said on Monday that the programs were aimed at improving the professional standards of Indonesian nurses ahead of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s plan to liberalize its labor markets.

Indonesia has asked for a delay in liberalizing the medical field until 2005, saying the quality of it's nurses could not match that of its regional counterparts.

Indonesian National Nurses Association president Achir Yani S. Hamid said about 52 percent of the country's medical workers were nurses, half of whom were vocational school graduates.

"Our target is that all Indonesian nurses obtain university diplomas by 2005," said Yani.

Both Elly and Yani were speaking during a press conference on the International Nursing Conference in Jakarta from June 4 and June 7. About 500 participants are expected to attend the event. -- JP