The General Duty Assistant (GDA) program is a short duration skill based training program, with an objective to develop a pool of trained workforce which can be employed by hospitals and healthcare facilities to provide support to nurses, doctors as well as other healthcare team members in ensuring quality care to the patients. The program focuses on the acquisition of skills necessary to provide support by undertaking non-clinical tasks or the activities that that have been directed by the healthcare team members.
Objectives
The program aims at making a student complete to perform the following skills.
• Demonstrate skills in patient positions and use of assistive devices, preparation of patient care unit, skills in transporting a patient, handling of samples, drugs and linen and use and after care of equipments.
• Demonstrate skills General Hygiene and Grooming, bathing procedures and guidelines, mouth, Eye, Ear, Skin, Hair, Nail and foot care, feeding the patient, taking care of elimination needs and procedures.
• Practice infection control measures, promote safety and demonstrate right methods of bio-medical waste management.
Every healthcare setting big or small needs GDAs to undertake and manage non-clinical activities within a healthcare setting (eg. Patient sample transportation, documentation, infection control and cleanliness).
The GDA program is thus a platform for gaining knowledge, understand the operations and types of services provided by a healthcare setting. The GDA can progress to take up similar profile such as Home Health Aide, Nursing Aide and assistants or can also have vertical progression by taking up more responsibilities such as GDA supervisor, Floor supervisor etc after adequate experience.
Admission Procedure
Admission cycle of this programme is from January to June and July to December every year. Admission in the this Programme will be offered through the common prospectus of IGNOU available through online. Please visit the IGNOU website for applying online for admission.
Implementation
The programme is implemented through a network of Programme Study Centres (PSCs). These Programme Study Centres are located in health care institutions like medical colleges/hospitals, state pollution control boards, UGC recognised or accepted Universities, NGO’s involved in the training for bio-medical waste management etc. A team of trained teachers called counsellors have been identified and trained for providing academic counselling and project evaluation in the Programme Study Centres. The administrative control is through the Regional Centres (RCs) of IGNOU located usually at state capitals and the School of Health Sciences (SOHS) located at the IGNOU Headquarters, Delhi, India.
Programme Package
A multimedia package consists of print material in the form of booklets called blocks, audio-visual materials, counseling, radiocounselling, assignments, project and workshop in established Programme Study Centres (PSC). The programme has two theory courses of 6 credits each, (one credit is equivalent to 30 learning hours). The learners can also access interactive self-learning material, programme/course relates material anytime, anywhere, through the web support platform. They can interact with the peers, and counselors synchronously and asynchronously using discussion forums, chat and video conferencing facility.
Continuous Evaluation of Theory Component - Assignments
Assignment is a means of continuing assessment of the theory with a weightage of 30%. These assignments consist of a set of questions and activities that a student is required to undertake at his own place by referring to the blocks. Assignments help to recapitulate the theory. Thus assignments also help to reinforce learning in distance learning system of education. The assignments carry thirty percent weightage. Students are required to obtain forty percent marks as pass percentage in each assignment separately.
Term-end Examination
Term-end examination for theory is held twice in a year i.e. in the month of June/December. There will be one paper for each of the theory/elective courses heaving a weightage of 70% . A student has to secure at least 40% of the marks in each of the theory/elective papers for successful completion.
A student could appear in one or more papers of the theory/elective courses at a time. For appearing in the theory term-end examination, the student should fulfill two requisites, i.e. filling up the form in time and timely submission of assignments related to that theory paper or the papers that he/she want to appear. The theory term end examination form is available on the IGNOU website.
For further details, please contact the following:
E-mail: cgda@ignou.ac.in
Phone Number: +91-11-29572846
