Is nursing marketable in Kenya?

Last updated on July 27th, 2023 at 04:22 pm

Here is a quick question: Is nursing marketable in Kenya?

Well, this is the question I will be answering in this article comprehensively so read the article to the end if nursing is your dream career .

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To be blunt, let me say that over the years the number of people pursuing nursing courses has risen so there’s more competition today than in the past.

In fact, there will always be a small number of unemployed nurses in Kenya because getting a job is not as easy as it used to be..

What I mean is that you might find yourself tarmacking a little after finishing college or university before securing yourself a job.

But the good thing is you will eventually secure yourself a job in the private or public sector so nursing is one of the best courses around, despite the fact that the number of people pursuing the course has been increasing steadily over the last couple of years.

So in a nutshell, a nursing course is worth it even with the soaring competition- it is still very hard to remain jobless for very long after graduating with the course.

There’s another reason why we endorse nursing: Nurses are in high demand outside Kenya.

Yeah, it is true that a lot of Kenyan nurses are emigrating to countries such as the UK, Australia, and the US and are successfully getting employment (with much better pay) so that should give you confidence that nursing has great opportunities.

Now, that you have an answer with you “is nursing marketable in Kenya?” let’s go ahead and look at where you can work as a nurse in Kenya.

Where can I work as a nurse in Kenya?

With a registered nurse license, you have opportunities to work in any private sector and government hospitals in Kenya.

Below is where you can get hired as a qualified nurse:

Level 5 hospitals.
Mission hospitals.
Nursing and maternity homes.
Hospice (this are home for the aged citizens)
Private clinics and Private rehabs
Dental facilities
Law Firms
Home Healthcare
Online as a freelance nurse

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Duties and responsibilities of a nurse

Recording as well as monitoring a patient’s vital signs.
Promoting the overall well-being of patients by educating patients on self-care techniques.
Doing consultations with doctors and other medical staff to determine the best treatment plan for a patient.
Administering over-the-counter and non-intravenous medications to patients.
Changing dressings of the wounds
Nurturing a compassionate environment which they do by providing emotional and psychological support to the patient and their family members

Why I should pursue a nursing course in Kenya

Kenya’s population is rapidly expanding, meaning that the demand for nurses will continue rising (creating new nursing job opportunities each and every day).
Registered nurses are well paid (so just make sure you pass the nursing council exam which enables you to acquire a registered nurse license).
Nursing will remain marketable because it is not a common course – you cannot just wake up and decide to pursue nursing if you don’t have good grades (The minimum qualification for a Diploma is a C plain and you need a C plain too in English/Kiswahili and the same grade in Biology/Biological Sciences)

Nursing entry requirements in Kenya

Here now are the minimum entry requirements to pursue nursing in Kenya:

Certificate in (Community Nursing)

Mean grade- C- in your KCSE.

Additionally, you must have met the following extra requirements in the indicated cluster subjects:

English/Kiswahili – C-(minus)
Biology/Biological Sciences- C-(minus)
Chemistry or Physics/Physical Science or Mathematics- D+(plus)

Keep in mind that if you scored a C-, you can take this certificate course at any of the accredited nursing colleges in Kenya and then use it to apply for a Diploma in Nursing course.

Diploma

In nearly all institutions offering diploma nursing courses in Kenya, the entry requirement for a diploma course is a minimum KCSE grade of C (plain).

You also must have scored the following grades in the listed cluster subjects:

Biology – C (plain)
English or Kiswahili -C (plain)
Mathematics/Chemistry -C- (minus)

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing

For you to pursue a degree in nursing in most universities in Kenya, you must meet the following entry qualifications:

KCSE mean grade – C+(plus)

Cluster requirements

Biology -C+ (Plus)
Chemistry- C+ (Plus)
Mathematics /Physics- C+ (Plus)
English -C+ (Plus)

What duration does a nursing course in Kenya take (for the different levels)?

Certificate in nursing -2 ½ years.
Diploma in nursing -3 years.
Diploma in community health nursing -3 ½ be prepared to learn the course for a duration of 3 years
Degree in nursing -4 academic years

Where can I study nursing in Kenya?

There are so many nursing institutions in Kenya today but to be on the safe side, be sure to enroll in a nursing council-accredited institution only.

Bearing that in mind, below is a list of some of the recognized colleges and universities in Kenya which excel in offering training in nursing courses in Kenya.

Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC)- best government run nursing college in Kenya
Nairobi Hospital School of Nursing (Cicely McDonnell School of Nursing)
Aga Khan University-School of Nursing/Midwifery Nairobi
PCEA Tumu Tumu School of nursing.
Maseno Nursing School Kenya
AIC Kijabe School of nursing
Kenyatta national hospital nursing school
Consolata Mission Hospital – Nyeri
Moi University School of Nursing
Outspan Medical School- Nyeri
Gertrudes training Centre
Nairobi women hospital
Baraton University
University of Nairobi
Nazareth school of nursing.
Consolata hospital-Nkubu School of nursing.
Chuka University
Karen hospital nursing training college.
Maua Methodist hospital-school of nursing.
Moi Teaching & referral nursing hospital.
Kabarak University