University of Zambia Exchange

Zambia is a society which continues to have a high level of poverty. Therefore, although the Government is working to increase universal access to all healthcare, currently there is a critical shortage of specialist nurses in fields such as Emergency and Trauma, Critical Care and Oncology. In the last decade, specialist nurse education in Zambia has been transformed, with many new programmes at Bachelor and Master of Science level being introduced. However, there is a challenge that to keep these programmes sustainable, there is a need to upskill the nursing faculty in Zambia whilst at the same time maintaining the urgent needs of the workforce.

CHRIS CARTER AND JOY NOTTER
Professors in Health, Education and Life Sciences

In partnership with the University of Zambia, the oldest academic institution in Zambia, who play a leading role in the development of nursing and midwifery, The Centre for International Health Partnerships at Birmingham City University has been working with the UNZA School of Nursing Sciences to capacity strengthen the Emergency & Trauma, Critical Care and Oncology Faculty.

Activities have included masterclasses given by BCU and NHS Faculty for Emergency & Trauma and Critical Care students, a peer review of their MSc in Critical Care Nursing and a UK Exchange with Faculty from Emergency & Trauma, Critical Care and Oncology. 

In August 2024, 3 UNZA members of Faculty came to the UK for a 4-week exchange. During the exchange, the team had the opportunity to rotate around the different hospitals within the West Midlands. These included the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Good Hope Hospital, Heartlands Hospital, Royal Wolverhampton Hospital and Manor Hospital Walsall. During the exchange our Oncology colleague as able to observe a range of treatment procedures not routinely available, such as stem cell harvesting and transplant. While cancer services in Zambia offer chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the real difference lay in the processes, which could be adapted for translation.

In Zambia, the emergency and critical care departments often overlap. Our two colleagues swapped disciplines for part of the exchange as in the UK they are totally separate. During the exchanges they had the opportunity to see the patient pathway from ED to ICU, as well as Critical Care Outreach Services. 

During the visit, BCU faculty provided a series of masterclasses which included working in the simulation and skills centre to cover a range of topics including spinal and neurological care, neuro rehabilitation, paediatric cardiac surgery, burns and ECG interpretation. Many of these sessions were focused on knowledge exchanges, sharing of experiences of teaching these subjects. There were also opportunities to meet with Pathway leads in Advanced Practice, Cancer and Critical Care, as well as the Faculty Executive Team. This culminated in a dissemination event with peers from within the Faculty, practice partners and external stakeholders to share lessons learnt. 

Overall, this project has brought both organisations together and demonstrates the range of opportunities for collaboration. The next stage is to work in partnership to operationalise an MSc in Cardiac Nursing.