UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 10 MAY
On International Nurses Day (12 May), Birmingham City University (BCU) is celebrating two incredible nurses on a mission to improve lives and champion change across the globe.
Professors Chris Carter and Joy Notter, the driving forces behind BCU’s Centre for Global Partnerships for Health, have worked in 12 countries over more than two decades. Their remit has always been to work with local partners to capacity strengthen nursing.
Together, they’ve have worked tirelessly with local partners in Zambia to transform critical care nursing.
Over the last decade, the impact of their work in this country has been staggering and a testament to the power of two people with a shared passion to improve thousands of lives.
- 400 nurses registered or in training by local partners: Two critical care nursing courses launched (advanced diploma and bachelor’s degree) delivered at three colleges, attracting students from Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho.
- 700 nurses trained to safely administer oxygen: 76 ‘super trainers’ from 19 hospitals shared the training with 672 healthcare workers. It was funded by the DAK Foundation and Build Health International (BHI) and the Critical Care Nurses Association of Zambia (CCNAZ). This built upon a UKRI / Newton project during Covid-19.
- Eight Zambian nurses mentored by UK practitioners: Nurses from five provinces spanning over 500 miles signed up for support, guidance, and virtual networking through a mentorship programme with Livingstone University Teaching Hospital, Zambia.
- 1,600 nurses and healthcare workers trained during Covid-19: The UKRI/Newton Covid-19 project spanned 18 months and supported the Covid-19 response in Zambia:
- 1,246 healthcare workers coached in Covid-19 response.
- 161 Registered Nurses educated in Emergency and Trauma Nursing (ENT) and Critical Care Nursing (CNN).
- 105 healthcare workers trained in emergency and critical care.
- 70 nurses nationally trained in trauma and responding to major incidents.
- 20 national nurses instructed and assessed in neonatal resuscitation.
- 20 nurses and doctors training in clinical mentorship and assessment.
- Five emerging leaders in Emergency, Trauma, Operating Theatre and Critical Care: On completing the 18-month Nursing Now Challenge, Fellows shared their work at pre-World Health Assembly conference, international conferences, and in a journal.
- 65 international volunteers engaged: Taking part in activities in-country and virtually, including online lectures, mentorship, peer reviewers, and clinical assessment.
“I’ve invested a decade of my life in Zambia,” said Associate Professor Carter. “We’ve been in this together. My aim was always to be replaced. It’s good to take a step back, it’s for the right reasons, but it’s hard to let go. Seeing 10 years, 20 cohorts of critical care nurses, shape their future is incredible.
“We’re still here, but we’re in the final chapter. The sustainability and hand over is crucial.”
Through the BCU Centre for Global Partnerships for Health, Chris and Joy manage a range of projects and partnerships across the globe including Vietnam, Romania, Malawi, and Zambia.
Professor Notter, who holds a campaign medal for services to health by the Vietnamese Government, added: “We never do role substitution; it builds dependence and deskills. Our approach sustains practice. We aim to create something they own. It’s not ours.
“We give people confidence. We are now becoming mentors and peers, and rightly so. We’re not leading any more, they are.”
In 2023, the pair were awarded a BCU Knowledge Exchange Award for their instrumental work with Kanyama General Hospital in Zambia.