LAHORE: The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has decided to expedite the completion of the 24-month MS of Nursing degree programme by reducing it to 18 months.

The announcement was made by UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore in a meeting with the heads of teaching and administrative departments on Wednesday.

Prof Rathore said the university had taken this step to address the issue of faculty shortage in the field of nursing.

In order to accomplish this, the teaching hours for the program will be extended from eight hours per day to10 or12 hours per day to ensure the timely completion of the degree.

During the meeting, the vice chancellor also instructed the relevant staff to keep the university library open 24 hours a day to facilitate the students.

Furthermore, it was decided that the MS Nursing programme would have separate teaching and clinical tracks, allowing for a more focused and comprehensive learning experience.

In addition, a sevenmember committee was formed to develop a condensed course outline for the MS Nursing programme.

The committee comprises Prof Sidra Saleem, Prof Fridoon Jawad Ahmad, Prof Muhammad Shahzad, Prof Allah Rakha, Prof Samina Manzoor, Director of Medical Education Dr Khalid Rahim, and Dr Asif Naveed.

Their expertise and input will contribute to the development of an effective and streamlined curriculum.

Prof Rathore also approved the establishment of a Student Welfare Society.