Post Basic Nursing (ND and HND)
Advance Your Nursing Career
Earn More. Do More. Become More.
For registered nurses and registered midwives who want the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Nursing. You are admitted partway through on the strength of what you already hold, you do not sit JAMB, and you complete in two or three years depending on your existing qualification.
Overview
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria approved Sancta Maria to run Post Basic Nursing in 2026. It exists for a specific person: the nurse or midwife who is already registered, already working, and wants the ND and HND academic certificates without repeating training they have already completed.
Rather than entering at ND 1 alongside school leavers, you are admitted at the level your existing qualification justifies. A registered midwife enters at ND 2 and completes in three years. A registered nurse enters at HND 1 and completes in two.
While you are here, you also sit the professional qualifying examinations you do not yet hold. A registered midwife adds RPHN and RN. A registered nurse adds RPHN and RM. Either way you leave holding a broader set of registrations than you arrived with, alongside the academic awards.
There is no JAMB requirement on this route. Entry is assessed on your NMCN registration and your practising credentials.
Which route applies to you?
Your existing qualification decides where you join the programme and how long it takes.
- If you are a Registered Midwife: you enter at ND 2 (200 level) and complete in three years
- If you are a Registered Nurse: you enter at HND 1 (300 level) and complete in two years
- Registered midwives sit the RPHN qualifying examination at HND 1, and the RN qualifying examination at HND 2
- Registered nurses sit the RPHN qualifying examination at HND 1, and the RM qualifying examination at HND 2
Both routes finish with the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Nursing, and both are mobilised for national service (NYSC) on completion. If you hold neither registration, this is not the route for you: see the four year Nursing (ND and HND) programme instead.
Admissions Contact
Sancta Maria Catholic College of Nursing Sciences
Post Basic Nursing Admissions
Address :
Sancta Maria Catholic Hospital, Afashio, Uzairue, Edo State, Nigeria
- admissions@sanctamaria.edu.ng
- +234 913 770 1419
(Mon - Fri : 08.00-04.00)
Social Info :
Ready to add to what you already hold?
Applications for the 2026/2027 session are open. Check your eligibility, then create your portal account. If you are unsure which route applies to you, call the admissions office before you apply.
Why Study Here
Why choose Sancta Maria College?
We are committed to providing quality education and professional training that prepares our students to become competent, compassionate, ethical, and confident nurses and midwives.
Fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, so your qualification is registrable and portable.
Hospital and community health placements build competence and confidence early, not just in a final year.
You are taught by nurses and clinicians working in the field, not only by career lecturers.
You are taught by nurses and clinicians working in the field, not only by career lecturers.
Registered nurses and midwives can convert existing qualifications into ND and HND certificates without sitting JAMB.
Two academic certificates and three professional qualifications from one four year programme.
As a Catholic college we teach integrity, discipline and compassionate service as part of the professional standard.
Registered nurses and midwives can convert existing qualifications into ND and HND certificates without sitting JAMB.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
Here are commonly asked questions with answers to help prospective students:
No. JAMB is not required on this route. Entry is based on your registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and your current practising credentials. If you are not already registered, the four year Nursing (ND and HND) programme is the route that applies to you, and that one does require JAMB.
Three years. You are admitted at ND 2 (200 level), sit the RPHN qualifying examination at HND 1, and the RN qualifying examination at HND 2.
You must be duly registered with the NMCN, and hold both a current practising licence and your notification of registration or certificate. You enter the numbers on the application form and the College verifies them directly, so there is nothing to scan or upload. Bring your originals to the physical interview.
Yes. Post Basic candidates sit the College entrance examination and attend a physical interview. This is a different examination from the Post UTME sat by school leaver applicants.
The National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Nursing, plus the professional qualifications you did not already hold. Graduates are mobilised for national service (NYSC) on completion.
Two years. You would enter at HND 1 (300 level), take the RPHN examination at HND 1 and the RM examination at HND 2. Registered midwives take three years, entering at ND 2 (200 level).
Yes! The school offers hostel facilities with a safe and conducive learning environment. Accommodation is available to all admitted students.
Graduates can work in:
- Hospitals & Clinics (Public & Private)
- Maternity Homes & Community Health Centers
- Government & International Health Agencies
- Further Studies & Specializations in Nursing or Midwifery
💡 Have more questions? Contact our admissions office today!