Botswana

Train the Trainers Programme

March 2012

Angela Konstanz and Kate Woodhead were joined by Jean Naude to deliver the Train the Trainers Course in Botswana in early March 2012. Jean is one of the founding Board of Directors of FoAN Canada and she accompanied us not only to give the nurses the benefit of her experience in practice and teaching but also to gather information on the logistics and management of running an educational course in Africa to take back to Canadian colleagues. Angela is a long standing member in UK, and has assisted in delivering training in Lesotho, in the past.

We were pleased to be returning to the Nurses Association of Botswana for our training and they had kindly liaised with the Ministry of Health to release the nurses for training. We were delighted to welcome eleven delegates to the course, and whilst we had indicated that we could accommodate more, it enabled us to have more time with each delegate as they made their lesson plans and developed action plans. A representative from the Ministry and the President of the Nurses Association assisted us at the Opening Ceremony.

Having had presentations on the theory, lesson planning and practice of teaching others, each of the nurses did a micro teaching session and set action plans for the future. Each nurse outlined a future teaching session that they planned to deliver to their colleagues, which included:

  • Learning good communication skills

  • The opportunity to plan a lesson and teach the class

  • Planning what to teach students so that teaching is logical

  • Student teaching will be evaluated by questioning or a quiz

  • Teaching colleagues about different types of procedures

FoANC (Friends of Africa Nursing Canada) sponsored one day of the workshop, paying for the participant’s food, travel and lodging for the day. Jean introduced the day by giving a slide show of Canada. Canadian flags pens and pins were handed out to the delight of the nurses. The participants were extremely grateful and thanked FoANC profusely.

In addition, FoAN was able, thanks to a very generous baggage allowance on Kenya Airways, take a suitcase full of nursing textbooks to the Nurses Association of Botswana library. The books chosen were up to date texts particularly on clinical practice, some on perioperative practice and other more generic text books on research methodologies and philosophy. 

Evaluations

The course evaluated very well with responses to the question “What will you do differently after the training?”:-

My communication skills have improved and the way I handle my presentation

Train with confidence

I have confidence to teach and I know how to plan my teaching schedule.

To update others, share information, know how to plan for my objectives. Arrange my talk/education, demonstrate in order, as well as improving my performance

Be able to educate the theatre team in a very structured and planned way at all times to make it the best team in the hospital; in the country and be able to up the theatre standards and patient safety.

I will definitely share knowledge with my colleagues  I also realised you can never stop learning , if someone wants to share I will be willing to listen and take that knowledge with me.

We were able to make a clinical visit to the Princess Marina Hospital Main Operating Theatre Suite and also to the Gynaecological Theatres with one of our participants. We met the new Matron for main Theatres who was anxious for feedback on our views. We were able to leave her with some clinical gifts, which despite Botswana’s emerging country status, will be put to good use, as resources for healthcare in the acute sector seem to be very short.

One of the outcomes of the visit was a renewed interest in reviving the Botswana Perioperative Association. With encouragement and sharing of materials, the group is determined to have the association active again and as we left was receiving support from NAB to have an initial meeting of the steering group.

Friends of African Nursing were invited to return to Botswana by the delegates, in particular to design some education around infection prevention in perioperative practice.

A sincere thank you to the Nurses Association of Botswana who supported us enormously throughout the week and in particular to Irene, who took special care to ensure that we were able to be free to deliver education. In addition, a special thank you to Angela and Jean. We had a great week, fabulous teamwork and great enthusiasm for the programme and the work in hand. 

Kate Woodhead


Botswana November 2009

Leadership Programme

Another successful FoAN leadership programme took place during November 2009 in Gaborone, Botswana, and very kindly hosted by the Nurses Association of Botswana (NAB). The event was facilitated by Trustee Debbie Lee, FoAN Chair Kate Woodhead, and efficiently supported by Molnlyke award winner Allison Faulkner. Geetha Feringa, Executive Secretary, NAB and her team, played a key role in making this event such a success. NAB is the nationalspokesperson for nurses in Botswana. Operated by Nurses since 1968, the Association represents over 2,700 nurses in the country.

Day one was formally opened by Mrs. J.B. Makhawade, Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health, Dr E.S. Seloilwe, President of NAB and Kate Woodhead. 23 delegates were in attendance, with the majority being made up from perioperative leaders selected by the Ministry of Health from throughout Botswana,and some representatives from NAB. All the delegates were bright, enthusiastic, and keen to develop their leadership skills. Every opportunity was taken toexchange ideas and improve nursing practice.During the programme a Team Management Profile was undertaken of each individual and received extremely well. This was kindly donated by TMS Development International Ltd. This tool has aided an in depth understanding of individual role preferences within a team, and can help improve leadership abilities in handling complex teams, something that was much needed.

All the delegates responded so well to each section of the leadership programme, and contributed extensively by asking challenging questions and proactive participation in each exercise.

The final day was formally closed by Dr E.S.Seloiwe, President of NAB. The closing ceremony was a chance to share our thoughts of the week and commit to the ongoing improvement of per-operative practice in Botswana. During FoANs time in Botswana opportunities were kindly made available by Geetha Feringa, NAB, for FoAN to broaden their understanding of peri-operative nursing issues by visiting two clinical areas. The first was a visit to the Scottish Livingstone Hospital, officially opened on 1st November 2008 by the Minister of Health, Honourable Lesego Ethel Motsum. Supporting this visit was Grace Molobe a delegate of FoANs leadership programme and their operating theatres lead nurse. Our final visit was to a rural hospital, at Thamaga. Both clinical visits were excellent opportunities to help FoAN identify areas for support in the future.

This leadership programme has been a real opportunity to improve peri-operative practice in Botswana. A true partnership has evolved between FoAN and key nursing influencers in Botswana which makes such an exercise so much more effective. Our thanks go out to all those involved and may this journey of improvement be ongoing.

Debbie Lee



FoAN - Training Nurses Across Africa Since 2001

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