The new system will also improve its capacity to monitor and enforce professional standards through heightened regulation of nursing and midwifery education and practice across the country.
Nurses and midwives are on the frontlines of healthcare service delivery in Tanzania and this new platform for ensuring they are well-equipped to provide quality care to patients will be a critical tool supporting TNMC's public protection mandate.
The launch of the new electronic database is particularly timely given the Government of Tanzania's recent approval of an expanded scope of practice for both nurses and midwives.
Under the new task-shifting policy, nurses have been officially empowered to provide critical HIV/AIDS-related care and treatment services, including prescribing antiretroviral therapy (ART) and monitoring and counseling to support adherence in the absence of a physician.
"The new database will enable TNMC to collect and track essential data on nurse education and practice credentials. With this information at our fingertips, we will be able to more effectively carry out our primary function, which is to protect the public," says TNMC registrar Lena Mfalila.
"I am pleased we now have a database that will be key in the implementation of the new task sharing policy."
In addition to serving as a clearinghouse for up-to-date information on nurse education and credentials, the new system will also provide an efficient way to manage nursing and midwifery practice and improve continuous professional development (CPD) by tracking the number of hours nurses and midwives invest in training and other in-service learning activities.
This will in turn allow TNMC to issue certificates, licenses and other credentials based on fulfilment of CPD requirements.
TNMC developed this information system with technical assistance provided by the Tanzania Nursing Initiative (TNI), a national inter-agency project managed by the American International Health Alliance (AIHA) that has been working to strengthen the nursing profession in Tanzania since 2005.
Since 2005, AIHA's Tanzania Nursing Initiative (TNI) has been supporting the nursing profession using a multi-pillared approach that includes strengthening education and training, building the capacity of professional associations, developing supportive policies and regulations, and raising awareness through advocacy and outreach.
TNI partners include TNMC, the Division of Nursing and Midwifery Services at the Ministry of Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children, the Nursing Training Unit at the Ministry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences School of Nursing, and their US-based technical experts at Winona State University and World Services of La Crosse, Inc.
TNI is supported by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Tanzania.
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