Published on 12 May 2020
Name: Kehinde Bawa
Age: 43
From: Nigeria
Kehinde graduated from the University of Sunderland last summer with a first class BSc (Hons) in Nursing and is the first recipient of the University’s Helen McArdle Nursing prize.
She’s currently working as a perioperative nurse at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Abuja.
What is it like currently being a nurse in Nigeria?
Nursing as an integral part of the healthcare delivery system has not been this overwhelming since my entrance into the noble profession as a student in 1994.
With the ever-expanding role of the nurse in the delivery of high quality care to a population with abounding healthcare needs, further compounded by the current pandemic, the role of the nurse is continuously evolving.
What helps make a good nurse?
Critical thinking skills, the roles of effective teamwork, good communication in enhancing healthcare outcomes and patients experience. These are some of the vital lessons I learned during the top-up programme at the University of Sunderland.
What challenges do you face?
A nurse needs to remain versatile to be an effective member of the multidisciplinary team, otherwise, the delivery of quality care will be a mirage, especially in poor resource settings such as found in Sub-Saharan Africa where I practice.
The occasion of the International Day of the Nurse, even though bedevilled by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, calls for reflection on nursing practice to the end of effecting necessary changes and enhancing practice development, thus, fostering outstanding healthcare delivery.
How did your time at the University help you?
Personally, the University of Sunderland afforded me the opportunity to redefine the concept of adult education.
My initial anxiety as an international student was relieved by the relatively personal ‘welcoming arms’ of the Gateway staff and the Student Union as they provided direction both literally and figuratively.
My interactions with the programme lead (Kathryn King), my personal tutor (Karen Humphrey) and my project supervisor (Karen Giles) always left me imbued with the self-confidence and resilience necessary for the excellent achievement of a first-class honours. The library service was excellent, responsive and always accessible even on what could be termed ‘off-hours’ in different tertiary educational settings.
Finally, the need for nurses to reflect upon their role in effective healthcare delivery cannot be more timely than during these days of commemorating the pioneer of modern nursing.
My learning experience at the University of Sunderland has given me a lifetime added value in both personal and professional development.