​​​Heart and Science For Health

Lydia Nyachiro’s definition of nursing propels her approach towards her chosen career: “It is a caring profession where you use your heart and science to help those who are unable to help themselves.” 

Lydia has come a long way in her 20-year tenure as a nurse. She spent her introductory days at Gendia Mission Hospital where she attained her Certificate in Nursing, then worked as a Community Health Nurse there for two years, before moving and settling at the Aga Khan Hospital as a Nursing Officer In-charge of Medical Surgical Units. 

Lydia believes her growth in her nursing career is a result of her time with AKU, both the hospital and the University. They have been very instrumental in pushing her to pursue excellence, thus improving service delivery at her workplace. She was always on the lookout for opportunities to improve herself, so in 2004 she enrolled for a diploma in nursing course at AKU-SONAM. 

The distance learning approach was quite new to Lydia. “The tutors used to come from Aga Khan Nairobi to Kisumu once a month. We had a room here in the hospital that we converted into a classroom. The hospital was and still is very supportive, giving us time to go to class and then come to work. We would do assignments and submit them online.” 

​Her childhood dreams had come true: she had a diploma in nursing, but Lydia did not feel she had reached her peak. In 2012, under full scholarship from the Aga Khan Hospital, Lydia went back to school for a BScN. The upgrade was important. “Nursing is dynamic. We live in a changing world. Different challenges at work fuelled the urge to improve my knowledge and skills.”