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Nursing Practice in Urology in Ghana: Current Realities and the Need for Structured Specialty Training
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
The Urology and Nephrology Center of Excellence, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Department of Surgery, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicology Research, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
The Urology and Nephrology Center of Excellence, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Department of Surgery and Urology, University of Ghana Medical School, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
- 1 School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- 2 The Urology and Nephrology Center of Excellence, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
- 3 Department of Surgery, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
- 4 Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicology Research, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- 5 School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- 6 School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- 7 The Urology and Nephrology Center of Excellence, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
- 8 Department of Surgery and Urology, University of Ghana Medical School, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Open Journal of Urology·Volume 16 (2026)·Pages 125–134·Published 1 April 2026·DOI10.4236/oju.2026.164013
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Abstract
Nurses play a central role in optimizing patient outcomes with specialty training offering the most benefit. As urology services expand, skill gaps across outpatient, inpatient, day-care, and operative settings limit efficiency, safety, and the patient experience. This write up is based on observations of urology practice in five centers in Ghana and two centers in Nigeria. In Ghana, and some countries in the West Africa Sub-region, formalized specialty training for nurses practicing in urology centers was absent. There is the need to establish curriculum-based specialty nurse training programs in urology that takes into consideration the peculiarities of urology practice in Ghana and the West African subregion to advance patient care.
KeywordsUrologySpecialty NurseTrainingGhanaWest Africa
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