A Japan-backed nursing capacity development project concluded in Dhaka on Monday after training 536 nursing educators and developing a framework aimed at improving nursing education and clinical practice standards across Bangladesh.
The four-year Project for Capacity Building of Nursing Services Phase II (CBNS-II), supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ended with a final stakeholder workshop at the ATM Shamsul Haque Auditorium at CIRDAP in Dhaka, organisers said in a press release.
The initiative was implemented from March 2022 to June 2026 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC), Bangladesh Nursing Association (BNA), public nursing colleges, medical college hospitals and development partners.
The project introduced a series of measures to strengthen nursing education and clinical practice, including practical guidance manuals, faculty development programmes and nursing management training.
Under the programme, 64 Master Trainers and 472 Clinical Nurse Teachers were developed.
The project also supported accreditation for four nursing colleges and promoted institutional networking among eight public nursing colleges and their affiliated hospitals.
A key focus of the workshop was discussion on sustaining and expanding the project’s approaches after the completion of the initiative.
Participants discussed the CBNS Model, a framework developed from the project’s experience to support continuous improvement in nursing education and clinical practice.
The model promotes cascade training, active learning, collaboration between colleges and hospitals, and institutional knowledge-sharing as part of a broader effort to strengthen the healthcare system.
JICA Senior Representative Morikawa Yuko said the workshop aimed not only to highlight the project’s achievements but also to discuss future expansion and sustainability.
“The purpose of today’s workshop is not only to highlight the achievements of the project, but also to facilitate meaningful discussions on how the initiative can be further strengthened, scaled up, and sustained in the future, as well as the role that various stakeholders can play in advancing these efforts,” Morikawa Yuko said.
“With the successful completion of CBNS-II, I am confident that the foundations established through the project will contribute to its continued success and long-term impact,” she added.
Participants discussed continued use of trained personnel and strengthening institutional mechanisms to sustain the programme’s impact.
The discussions also highlighted the need for continued collaboration among government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, professional organisations and development partners to support future implementation by the Bangladesh government.
Medical Education Division Additional Secretary under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Nora Alam Siddiqui said the project had contributed to improving nursing education and clinical nursing practice.
“I firmly believe that if the achievements and best practices of the CBNS-II project are adopted and implemented across nursing colleges, hospitals, and healthcare facilities throughout the country, they will contribute substantially to improving the quality of healthcare services and generating broader benefits for the nation,” Nora Alam Siddiqui said.
The workshop ended with participants expressing commitment to institutionalising the CBNS Model and related capacity development mechanisms to improve nursing education and clinical practice standards nationwide.
