Students promote nursing

In Bangladesh, nursing is not a widely respected profession. That’s why it is so important to teach our students how to present a positive image of nurses’ contribution to population health and health care. Each spring, students, parents and educators from the community tour IUBAT as they consider options for their university education. Each faculty of IUBAT prepares an orientation event to introduce their program. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about nursing. In this photo, IUBAT nursing students are staffing the College of Nursing stall, which includes several anatomical models. The torso was recently donated by the U Vermont Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society.

 

U Vermont BSN students at IUBAT

In January 2011 sixteen nursing students from the University of Vermont visited IUBAT for 3 weeks during their Community Health practicum.  Their supervisor, Dr. Hendrika (Rycki) Maltby, initiated this program several years ago to help students understand cultural barriers to health care in developing countries. This is the second visit hosted by IUBAT.   The students visited a rural village project for sustainable development and partnered with IUBAT nursing students to conduct community assessments in Dhaka.  One of the most memorable activities was the IUBAT Community Health Assessment Day.  The UVm students joined IUBAT nursing students, doctors from Shikder Hospital and other local health care specialists to provide our annual free health assessment to the local community.  In addition to checkups for families, the students provided health teaching about hygiene, nutrition and vaccination.  This practicum provides a fantastic opportunity for the American and Bengali students to learn from each other.  The photo shows Rachel (UVm) providing an assessment for a young mother and child. We are already planning the 2012 visit!

 

The health workforce crisis in Bangladesh

According to BRAC researcher Syed Masud Ahmed and his colleagues (Human Resources for Health 2011, 9:3), in 2007 there were around five physicians and two nurses per 10 000 population in Bangladesh, i.e. 2.5 times more doctor than nurses. “The current nurse-doctor ratio ...  is far short of the international standard of around three nurses per doctor. Interestingly, the equal nurse-doctor ratio in Khulna and very low nurse-doctor ratio in Sylhet is also associated with better health indicators in Khulna and worse health indicators in Sylhet. The importance of the nursing population for healthier communities ... cannot be overemphasized.” They estimate, based on typical low-income countries, that 280 000 nurses are needed in Bangladesh. http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/9/1/3

Community nursing - big impact

Linda Rollins of Nelson BC recently returned from teaching Community Health Nursing at IUBAT. Although this is her specialty in Canada, Linda says that she found the situation there quite different. “Community nursing in Bangladesh faces so many challenges from poor sanitation, food safety and environmental conditions. At the same time, chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease are becoming more common. There are great opportunities for the IUBAT graduates to make a big difference in the lives of ordinary people. It was very fulfilling to know that my effort has such an important potential impact.”

 

Recognizing an invaluable faculty member

Sonia Meyer is one of our longest-serving volunteers. With a background in respiratory therapy, she completed her BScN in the USA. Sonia lives year-round in Bangladesh, making time despite job and family responsibilities to supervise IUBAT medical-surgical students in their clinical practice. Managers at United Hospital appreciate the way Sonia emphasizes high-quality nursing care and cooperative relationships with all the staff. Sonia says, “I enjoy working with the students. They get good experience at United Hospital and they are so eager to learn. I am proud that they really care about their patients as if they were their own family.” She is certified by the American Heart Association to teach cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to our students each year. Such consistent, capable faculty members are hard to find in Dhaka. Big thanks, Sonia!  

 

Co-operation agreement between IUBAT and Vancouver Community College

IUBAT and Vancouver Community College recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding. In summer 2011, the first group of VCC students will visit IUBAT with their instructor. Pat Bawtinheimer, Dean of VCC’s School of Health Sciences says, “I know that everyone is excited about this opportunity for our BScN students. We are confident that this experience will provide invaluable learning for them. We anticipate a very positive working relationship with IUBAT in the future.” To which Dr. Alimullah Miyan Vice-Chancellor of IUBAT responds, “I am a firm believer in co-operative learning. Our colleagues from Canada as well as our International Office will do everything possible to make your students and faculty welcome in our growing campus. From the beginning of this university in 1991 we have been fairly successful in evolving a multicultural environment. The co-operation with Vancouver Community College will reinforce this.”

 

A new student initiative

Karen Lund reports that a group of second year students has come up with a plan that during every semester break (following exams) they would stay a week in one of their local villages. While there they would conduct community health assessments and health teaching sessions.  They plan to go in rotating groups of 4-5 nursing students along with an intern doctor. The visits would take in areas where one of the group has a family network for infrastructure support and local credibility.  This group includes both Bengali and Nepali students with hopes that the plan may someday include their Nepalese villages as well.  

Karen comments, “This is a milestone!  It is the first time our students have come to me with their own well thought-out plan for volunteer service.  Our years of teaching compassionate care seem to be bearing fruit at last.  It has been our goal to see attitudes change so that our graduates eventually lead nursing, reaching out to develop humanitarian initiatives in their home countries.  I'm still idealistic enough to think this might be the start of the sea change.  Thanks so very much to all the volunteers who have led by example and given our students confidence in themselves !!"