Events

The Nairobi Center is pleased to announce that the Global Practicum Program at Columbia Nursing School will once again occur at the country's oldest and second-largest hospital in East Africa - Kenyatta National Hospital. The practicum program enables Columbia nursing students undertaking the Masters Direct Entry program to learn more about real-world experiences and scenarios that prepare them to provide an accurate and independent diagnosis. The school partnered with the Nairobi Center and the University of Nairobi's Department of Nursing Sciences to conduct the practicum. For six weeks, the students rotationally shadow nurses and doctors in various units, including the accidents, emergency unit, and pediatric department, and share their experiences when their practicum concludes.

The Center has hosted two cohorts and had the opportunity to learn the program's significance through the lens of students such as Cheyenne Glasgow. During an interview with the Center, Ms Glasgow informed us that she needed to go to an African practicum site, as she had never been to Africa. Being a black woman living in America, she needed to learn from people who looked like her, identified as she did and shared a similar culture. She had a wonderful experience working in the labor and delivery unit. She adored working with the mothers who came to give birth as the mortality rate among black people in America is an epidemic, and supporting women to bring life has been emotional and rewarding for her. She is a social worker at heart, and the experience reminded her why she chose nursing as her career.

We look forward to sharing the experiences of the incoming students.