As nurses around the world commemorated International Nurses Day on May 12, five CPUT staff members celebrated their induction.
Cleopatra van Ster, Nqatyiswa Sineke, Thabita Stollenkamp, Chantal Julius and Dr Marietjie Theron were inducted into the prestigious society during an event at the University of the Western Cape.
The STTI’s mission is to mission is advance world health and to celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.
The five inductees won’t have to look far for inspiration – senior lecturer Dr Rugira Marie Modeste, won a 2017 STTI /Chamberlain Centre for Nursing Excellence award in the ‘Translating Science into Nursing Education’ category.
She believes her international award puts CPUT firmly on the “global map” in terms of the quality of research taking place at the university.
“This kind of recognition highlights the talent at CPUT. It puts the institution on the global map. As a university of technology, we are working hard to increase our visibility in terms of research. Having such an award associated with the institution shows that we are on the right track,” says the nursing senior lecturer.
WINNER: Dr Rugira Marie Modeste
Dr Marie Modeste submitted her winning abstract to the 44th Biennial Convention of the Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing, which was held in October last year in Indianapolis, in the US state of Indiana. “I had no knowledge of the award or that I was in contention for it when I submitted my abstract. So, winning came as a complete surprise,” she adds.
The abstract was based on a presentation from her doctoral study, in which she had developed a framework for the integration of HIV and AIDS competencies into undergraduate nursing curriculum in South Africa. Her ultimate aim was to develop and produce nursing graduates, who, upon graduation, are able to take care of people living with HIV without additional training. “In developing this framework I was responding to a need in the community. The HIV pandemic can be managed with the help of adequate care from health professionals like nurses,” she explains.
Dr Marie Modeste says that winning this award has motivated her to work even harder. “The bar has now been raised. I am encouraged to know that we, as Africans can compete and win at an international level. I can also tell my colleagues and students that if I am able to win an award like this, then we all can,” she adds.
She obtained a PhD in 2015 and has been in nursing education for 12 years. She has a passion for teaching that stems from the belief that by empowering her students she is able to help many more people than if she were practising as a nurse.
“Each student I train can go out and help more people than I could have helped as an individual nurse.”
Written by Ilse Fredericks and Abigail Calata
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