Patrick Bakkabulindi was the top student in our 2020 graduating class of nurses in Uganda with a GPA of 4.91. As he walked up the podium to receive his academic award at Uganda’s convocation ceremony, his classmates loudly cheered him on. His face could not hide his joy as he stood tall and proud while holding both his nursing degree and top student award.
Patrick comes from a family of nurses. His mother, aunt, sister, uncle and many more before them were nurses. It’s his mother, however, who inspired him to pursue a career in nursing.
“My mother was a school nurse. When the students would come to our home, she would send me for the first aid box. I loved seeing her at work. With time, she would give me instructions like ‘pack two paracetamols and give that girl’. She wanted me to be a doctor but after high school, I was selected for a diploma in nursing.”
Following his government accreditation as a nurse, Patrick rose up the ranks in his career and is now serving as the principal at Mukono Diocese School of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences. His key role is administrative oversight and supervision of faculty and staff.
“I got the job due to my work experience but according to government regulations, I needed a degree to maintain it. With a degree, I felt I would serve the institution better and so my diploma in comprehensive nursing was not enough. I consulted with the teachers at the school I work in and they referred me to the Aga Khan University.”
He was ecstatic when he got the acceptance letter in 2016. However, the journey was not easy. The juggle between work and school weighed heavy on him as administrative decisions were delayed while he was away attending class.
“I would receive phone calls from work and had to wait until lunch hour to give instructions over phone. For three days I had to work long hours, sometimes up to 9pm, to catch up on supervision and administrative duties. Another challenge was the heavy traffic while going to school. What should have been a 30-minute commute took two to three hours. This would mean leaving the house really early in the morning and getting home really late.”
Thanks to an understanding wife and supportive faculty, he was able to focus on his studies. He credits AKU faculty Mr Moses Wangiri for his care and advice, and Ms Carol Namkweya’s teachings on leadership and management which were valuable to his role as a principal.
“Some of the lessons I picked up, of which I’m also implementing at the school I lead, is reflective journaling. As the students do their clinical rounds or read books, I encourage them to write about their experiences in their journal. The use of blended learning helped me introduce the same to Mukono Diocese School of Nursing.”
His advice to those joining the profession?
“Be patient-minded. We’ve had some people complain that nurses are robotic when handling patients. Attitude matters in the nursing profession. Bring out the humane in you. When someone is in pain, be empathetic when caring for them.