WHO CC involvement: Professor Di Brown, Michele Rumsey, and Dr Elizabeth Brogan
The School of Nursing at the Fiji National University is the premier Nursing School in the Pacific region with a long and distinguished history. Since its amalgamation with the University, the Nursing School has developed several academic programs that have now been running for over four years. An external review by a panel of three experts made a number of recommendations to improve the curriculum and continuing professional development at the School. Academic Professor Di Brown, Maria Unwin and Michele Rumsey from WHO CC UTS provided technical advice in responding to the recommendations of the review and to assist in the development of an implementation plan.
The School of Nursing staff were assisted in the development of an implementation plan. As part of this plan they would like to maintain their links to the WHO CC UTS with a view to developing some longer term mentoring and development strategies.
Ensuring the University is delivering academic programs that continue to meet international standards and turn out highly skilled nursing and midwifery graduates will contribute to improved health outcomes across the Pacific region.
Post Graduate Diploma of Nursing Specialisation in Perioperative Nursing delivered at FNU - May 2024
The existing partnership between the World Health Organisation Collaborative Centre for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Development University of Technology Sydney (WHO CC Nursing and Midwifery UTS) and the School of Nursing at Fiji National University (FNU) continues to sow seeds for nursing education. This year UTS signed an MOU with FNU and as a result, there have already been several visits by staff from UTS.
From left to right: Albert Tioti O'Connor, Mere Vata, Keshni Singh, Dr Elizabeth Brogan, Luisa Ratule, Filipi Keresoma.
Through the dedicated efforts of academics from the School of Nursing Fiji National University (FNU), the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and the World Health Organisation Collaborative Centre for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Development at the University of Technology Sydney (WHO CC UTS), the Post Graduate Diploma of Nursing Specialisation in Perioperative Nursing is being delivered for the first time.
Dr Elizabeth Brogan of UTS, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Nursing at FNU, has led the implementation of the program. In February 2024, Dr Elizabeth visited the School of Nursing at FNU to deliver the first of two intense face-to-face teaching weeks for the inaugural student delivery. In first image from left to right: Albert Tioti O'Connor, Mere Vata, Keshni Singh, Dr Elizabeth Brogan, Luisa Ratule, Filipi Keresoma.
Dr Elizabeth continues to deliver weekly lectures online and is looking forward to returning in July for the second intense face-to-face teaching week. Dr Elizabeth will also be visiting local hospitals to provide clinical education to nurses supporting the FNU students during the clinical component of their degree.
A specialized diploma in perioperative nursing contributes greatly to strengthening the healthcare systems in the Pacific. As the need for surgery in the region rises, there is a need to capacity build perioperative nursing. Service delivery and patient care will greatly benefit from this diploma being offered. For nurses, this presents a new opportunity in knowledge and skill advancement. Read more about the visit here.
WHOCC UTS visits FNU to support the development of the new Master of Nursing Leadership - April 2024
Prof Di Brown and colleagues at School of Nursing, FNU
In April, Professor Di Brown from WHO CC Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development, UTS was invited by the School of Nursing, FNU to support the development of the new Master of Nursing Leadership anticipated to commence in the 2025 academic year.
This Masters builds on the success of the Graduate Diploma of Nursing Management and Leadership and responds directly to a key development priority across many Pacific Island countries. It equips a new generation of nurses to pave new initiatives and strengthen existing ones as the Pacific continues to face increasing health burdens. Read more about the visit here.
Fiji National University’s School of Nursing academics Visit UTS - November 2023
The Head of School, Dharmendra Naidu and the Head of Department, Keshni Singh from the School of Nursing (SoN) at the Fiji National University (FNU) were welcomed by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) on the 30th of October 2023 to discuss important areas of development and education in nursing and midwifery. The FNU academics had a 3-day visit with the UTS Nursing and Midwifery academics where they were introduced to the World Health Organisation Collaboration Centre (WHOCC) at UTS and had the opportunity to review the memorandum of understanding between FNU and UTS.
The duo from the FNU were also welcomed and escorted to the third-year Bachelor of Midwifery Student Conference by Dr Elizabeth Brogan and had an opportunity to meet Professor Jennifer Fenwick (Head of Discipline – UTS), Professor Deborah Fox and Dr Heike Roth to have an overview of the Bachelor of Midwifery (BMid) Program at UTS. The Head OF school Nursing and Midwifery Professor Kathleen Baird and Professor Angela Dawson Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Health at the UTS also met with the FNU academics and hosted them to a morning tea which also served as a networking opportunity with the nursing and midwifery academic staff. The visitors also had an overview of the Post Graduate Nursing Program at UTS with the Post Graduate Course Director Dr Carmen Axisa and Tran De Linh. The FNU academics also met with the Bachelor of Nursing Course Director Sonia Matiuk.
On the final day of the visit, the academics met with the Course Director for the Post Graduate Midwifery Program at UTS, Lorretta Musgrove for the course overview. The FNU visitors attended the Early Career Academic Network (ECAN) steering committee meeting followed by a visit to the Dean of Faculty of Health (UTS) Professor Debra Anderson. They concluded their UTS visit on the 1st of November with a tour of the clinical skills labs and witnessed the possibilities of learning through a high-fidelity mannikin simulator. Read more about the visit here.