Dr Eunice Ndirangu-Mugo
Message from the Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 6th Annual Early-Career Health Researchers’ Symposium.
When we started this journey five years ago, we did not envision how significant and impactful this initiative would be. Five years ago, the School of Nursing and Midwifery did not have any graduate programs yet here we are today, with two graduate programs: the Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing as well as the Master of Science in Advanced Practice Midwifery. Five years ago, the event attracted mostly internal AKU researchers, yet now, we attract researchers from different institutions across East Africa. We have made tremendous progress, and this is only possible because of the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, researchers and the wider AKU community. Thank you for your unwavering support.
The theme of this year’s symposium: Strengthening healthcare systems through innovation, technology, and evidence-based practice directly compliments AKU-SONAM’s Strategic Plan. One of our key thematic areas within the Strategic Plan is: Advancing Knowledge through Research for Innovation, Practice, and Policy where one of our main objectives is to provide leadership through a progressive and sustainable research and knowledge translation agenda for nursing and midwifery for East Africa and the world. The symposium comes at a time when the world is still recovering, especially economically, from the aftershocks of a pandemic that rocked healthcare systems to the core. We witnessed several vital innovations including homegrown ventilators and oxygen system planning tools, vaccines, and vaccine trackers, among many other inventive implements that saved so many lives globally. I would also like to acknowledge SONAM staff and faculty across East Africa who have contributed more than 30 publications to AKU’s research efforts so far this year, surpassing last year’s publication count in July. This is in addition to presenting nationally and internationally in workshops, symposia, and conferences. This effort was augmented by the vigor and guidance of our Research Technical Working Group as well as the willingness of faculty to take advantage of the Dean’s Research Fund. Keep up the good work as we contribute to the generation of healthcare knowledge.
Nurses and midwives were and continue to be at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic, therefore as primary users, any healthcare innovations are likely to affect them first, and that is one half of the reason why this theme is so important. The other reason why this theme resonates with me is that the pandemic forced us to embrace evidence-based practice as a pillar of any research endeavor. It forced us as scientists, researchers, and educators globally to question the relevance of our research outputs in relation to our reality. I cannot overemphasize how important it is, especially at a time when the world needs solutions to the various obstacles we face including health-related pandemics, climate change, territorial disputes and other challenges.
Closer home, at SONAM we endeavor to challenge ourselves and our students to adapt to the realities on the ground. Our nurses and midwives work in a variety of settings, including private practice, community health facilities, clinics, hospitals, government parastatals, corporate settings, schools as well as maternity and nursing homes. It is crucial for us to continue adapting our teaching, clinical, and research practices to the experiences our students encounter as they work in these settings. In the past, we have had only SONAM undergraduates submit their abstracts, however, this year, I am glad to mention that as our inaugural Master’s students work on their thesis submissions, they will take a more vigorous role in the symposium, and I look forward to engaging with them. This would not have been possible without the collaboration between SONAM and the Medical College. Our collaboration over the past five years has laid a strong foundation as both schools prepare to launch direct-entry undergraduate programs premised on an inter-professional approach to nursing and medical education.
Based on the current state of the world, innovation, technology and evidence-based practice are crucial to responding to real-world challenges. I call on all healthcare practitioners, researchers, academics, and attendees of this Symposium to participate in problem-solving by using the tools you already have. Let us think creatively, collaboratively and critically about how together, we can continue to develop solutions to problems through evidence-based research, in healthcare and beyond. I would also like to encourage nurses and midwives not to take a backseat when it comes to research, innovation and technology. As the first point of contact with patients and as 59% of the world’s healthcare workforce, you are vital to the development and application of health-related innovations. Let us work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and make Universal Health Coverage a reality.
We welcome all first-time attendees to the event, and we look forward to engaging with you, learning from you and sharing with you throughout the Symposium. Remember to stay safe and adhere to the set COVID-19 guidelines.
Dr Eunice Ndirangu-Mugo,
Associate Professor and Dean
School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa
