Summer 2010, Vol. 3, Issue 1 - Aga Khan University

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FeAtureWhen opportunitiesknock, take themshaheena salim Jumani, Bscn ‘05 and shazia naz Waris Ali,Bscn ’09Armed with BScN degrees from AKU-SON, we entered the ‘realworld’ with a passion to work with babies and their mothers. We weretrained to provide new mums with postnatal health and fitness education,and were focused on this goal from the very beginning.At the same time it soon dawned on us that while nurses mayexcel in their routine responsibilities, they often remain unawarethat there is much more ‘out there’ that can be achieved – all that isneeded is an extra bit of zeal and enthusiasm. In our case, we gotthe opportunity to work in managerial roles and took up the challengeto broaden our horizons and to look for ways to innovate, tothink ‘out-of-the-box’. And we did exactly that. We began developingguidelines and checklists for postnatal care so that all nursescould refer to one operational framework. We encouraged mothersto attend daily postnatal education classes and we constantly pushedfor quality innovations.Has there been any impact? We designed a small group-basedsurvey to identify the effects of our new steps on the health ofpatients and awareness among nurses. The survey, conducted fromFebruary toMay 2009,revealedencouragingoutcomes – wewere able tomake a differenceto a mother’sknowledgeand staff practices.Our studyled to the introductionof dailypostnatal educationsessions inour unit.It is saidthat one createstheir own luck.For us, it wasmore thanenough that our efforts were recognised and patient satisfaction ratesimproved remarkably. We were also invited to attend the 13thBiennial Scientific Conference of the Society of Obstetricians andGynaecologists of Pakistan in February this year. Our presentation, onenhancing breastfeeding practices in new mothers through a postnataleducation programme, was well received. Such appreciation can onlymotivate us to stretch ourselves even further.On the Road to Burn-out?Farzana mukhi Jaffer, Bscn ’03Medical staff often experience high levelsof stress and burn-out and nurses are noexception. A heavy workload, extendedhours, understaffing, dealing with death,managing difficult family members andpatients, and conflicts with other nursesand doctors, contribute to physical andemotional exhaustion among nurses.A high rate of burn-out can affect notonly the individual nurse, but an entirehealth care setting. Nurses, as caregivers,must learn to care for themselves – tocope with stress and deal with anxiety.Here are some tips to control burn-out:* Realise that anxiety is part of the job.* Laugh at yourself and the situationsyou face; it is one of the best techniquesfor preventing stress and burn-out.* Reflect on difficult situations asopportunities for positive learning.* Realise that you are not a supernurse. Manage your time better; halfof the techniques for managingnursing stress are based on effectivetime management.* Find someone you can talk and discussfeelings with such as another colleague,family, friends, or even a therapist.Attend stress reducing workshops.* Maintain good health. Take care ofyour body and mind by eating a balanceddiet, getting the right amount ofsleep to keep functional through theday, and exercising to increase bloodflow and keep alert.* Take time off. Engage in activities withfamily and friends such as dining outor going to the movies. Find a hobby orother recreational activity. Use holidaysas time to recharge your batteries.* If you experience stress due to a particularfield or department, considermoving to a less stressful area orswitching to another shift that maynot be as busy and stressful.You CAN control how you feel.14
eFleCtionsBenefiting fromInformation Managementrozmin Pirwani, Post-rn Bscn ’93I currently work as a SeniorApplication Analyst at NorthShoreUniversity HealthSystem inEvanston, Illinois. Here, I have hadthe opportunity to connect my pastclinical experiences with mynewly-attained knowledge in informationtechnology. Informationmanagement is critical to the provisionof quality health care in the21st century. Medical informaticshelp make patientrecords more effective andsafer, and the increasing useof electronic files promisesenormous cost savings andimproved efficiency. Asmodern health care becomesincreasingly dependent oninformation management,employment prospects forthose skilled in this fieldwill continue to grow.I graduated with a Post-RN BScN in 1993. In 2010,I earned my Master ofScience in MedicalInformatics fromNorthwestern University inIllinois. My classmates andI were the second batch ofgraduates from this new andunique programme. TheMSc gives clinically-trained healthcare professionals the knowledgeand experience of informationtechnology. These individuals canthen develop careers in informationservice sections within hospitals,health systems, academic environments,and the health systems andequipment industry.At the inauguration of theUniversity’s Faculty of HealthSciences in Nairobi, His Highness,the Aga Khan cited the words of thefirst hereditary Imam of the ShiaMuslims that “no honour is likeknowledge”. I look forward to availingsuch stimulating opportunities inthe near future.The Way We Carry AKU-SON With Usnatasha rehman Bscn ’07,rozeena gillani Bscn ’08, sanakarim Bscn ’07 and shireen Arif,Post rn ’09Working outside the AKU environmentmay be a challenge in itselfbut as we have found to our pleasantsurprise (or maybe no surprise at all)any difficulties are offset by theappreciation and kudos that soonflow. We had simply put to work allthat we learned at AKU, from ourstudent days at the School ofNursing to Nursing Services at theHospital: the theory, the practice,and perhaps most importantly, theattitude. Creativity and innovationhave always been encouraged as themain ingredients to further polishour professionalism - and we arevalued for these qualities.The four of us joined BaqaiMedical University’s (BMU)College of Nursing in Karachi relativelyrecently as nursing instructors.It is a matter of great pride forAKU-SON that its alumna, AmynahMevawala, MScN ’07, is theDirector of the BMU College ofNursing, and we feel extremely fortunateto have her as a guide andmentor. Mevawala has been at BMUfor the last 13 years and continues tobelieve that she has ‘not stopped herlearning journey’.A Big Thank You!karimah Pabani Bscn ’02It does not need to be said, but I willsay it anyway - I am deeply honouredto be an alumni of Aga KhanUniversity School of Nursing.Harry Emerson Fosdick oncesaid, “No horse gets anywhere untilhe is harnessed. No steam or gasever drives anything until it is confined.No Niagara is ever turned intolight and power until it is tunneled.No life ever grows great until it isfocused, dedicated, disciplined."The education at AKU-SON andthe dedication of its faculty membershave turned an ordinary personlike me into someone valuable. Ithas helped me build a strong foundationfor my career that will helpme grow every day of my life.Today, I am a responsible mother,a loving wife, a dedicated student,and a proud alumna. I have15
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Summer 2010, Vol. 3, Issue 1 - Aga Khan University

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