Capacity Building in Nursing Education; Solomon Islands National University – Leila Ross
The WHO CC UTS acknowledges use of key language from The WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (2021–2025).
“My research was trying to look at how best we can build capacities of the class, the infrastructure and the resources we have,” she says. Ross finished her research in 2016 and found that all sorts of improvements were needed.
One of the areas that we lacked in was we didn't have enough staff with post training,” she says. “Most of our staff are just graduates from here with clinical experience who are coming to teach.
Since then, staff have undertaken further training. Five have already completed extra studies and one is currently in the process. “We have two more to go,” says Ross.
Since then, staff have undertaken further training. Five have already completed extra studies and one is currently in the process. “We have two more to go,” says Ross.
The Solomon Islands, like many Pacific Island nations, suffers from low literacy levels. In terms of health, non-communicable diseases are on the rise adding a double burden to the already-stretched health system. But Ross’s crucial working in improving nursing education highlights how important these changes are.
With so many students graduating, Ross wants better systems in place to help them find jobs. She says students often wait too long and forget their skills or they move to nearby Vanuatu, where they can earn more money. “It’s good we train a lot of people but maybe we also need them to work and improve the health services in our country,” she says.
Ross has been in clinical care since 1996. She worked as a midwife in a hospital and then moved to the university in 2010, where she is now the coordinator for the Bachelor of Midwifery. Over time, she has seen the level and number of graduates, staffing in rural areas and services in general improve.
I hope that as a person trying to train nurses, we will do our utmost best to train them in a way that they will all go out, so that they can be part of the workforce that will be able to improve the services, the health services for our country.
