Fall 2007
Vol. 14/ No. 2

Educating Nurses Worldwide

The University of Missouri and the University of Western Cape (UWC) in Capetown, South Africa have had a rich history of collaboration.

Beginning in 1986, prior to the abolition of Apartheid in 1994, the Schools of Law, Journalism and Education among others have been involved with their counterparts at UWC with research, program development, and student and faculty exchange visits to both campuses. In 2004, the University's Schools of Nursing were added to this list of collaborative programs with UWC.

“Our relationship with UWC has been beneficial for us both,” said Kay Libbus, professor of nursing. “Health care and nursing education in South Africa has gone through many changes in the last decade.”

In Western Cape Province , the Ministry of Education reduced the number of nursing schools admitting undergraduate students from five to two program in 2003. The UWC School of Nursing has taken on the challenge of increasing their annual undergraduate student intake from under 100 to more than 350 per year.

“One of the areas of collaboration between Mizzou and UWC nursing is to examine teaching methodologies to help to deal with this influx,” Libbus says.

The faculty and administration are currently examining existing methods of teaching and assessment to relieve some of that stress, while graduating students with the skills necessary to address the health needs of the Province and the Nation.

“Together UWC and Mizzou are developing alternative and innovative teaching methodologies and clinical experiences for students,” says Libbus, the Mizzou PhD nursing program director.

For example, the four institutions are looking into self-mediated learning modalities as well as expanding their learning laboratory facilities.

They are also looking at allowing students to use a certain percentages of volunteer hours as clinical hours or developing practices that meet South African and Western Cape Province health goals such as the development of the nursing clinic at Sarah Baartman Women's Center.

As noted, the collaborative effort includes on-site visits on both continents. Libbus visited Western Cape in 2004, 2005 in addition to her recent 2007 visit.

Since the funding ended for this project in 2006, Libbus has teamed up the Good Start Project. This research team is investigating the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.