Preparedness for Practice of Health Professionals in Papua New Guinea: a Cross-sectional Survey of Nurses and Community Health Workers.

Authors: Mary Kililo, Julie Dopsie, Sulpain Passingan, Julie Kep, Nina Joseph, Russel Kitau, Mary Roroi, N, Chris Rossiter, Jenny Sim, Di Brown, Caroline Havery, Ali Moloney, Michele Rumsey

In Papua New Guinea, where health services face major challenges, nurses and community health workers (CHWs) form most of the health workforce. However, their education programs don’t fully prepare them for national health priorities like maternal health and infection control. A study found that new graduates and their supervisors often disagreed on competency levels, with graduates feeling they needed more support and training. The findings highlight gaps in education that need to be addressed in future curriculum updates.