14EbEnEzEr Friday, july 29, 2022 news Kutesa narrates journey from guard to nurse Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery By Eriah Lule (This article was edited from the September 2021 published version) The life of Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate Denis Kutesa is punctuated by work where he was forced to take two lives to one where he is saving them. He’s most recently a nurse but formerly a security guard. His is a tale of losing and regaining hope. His school cycle took a seven-year break because of finances. Kutesa’s father, Simon Nsubuga, who had been meeting his tuition requirements, had suddenly lost his job when Kutesa had just completed his A’level. The year was 2009. For the next seven years, Kutesa went through a storm. He survived the downpour by working as a guard, a primary school teacher – anything and everything to survive. Some of the odd jobs he did were a stark contrast for someone who not long before had attended some of Uganda’s elite schools. Kutesa, who has freshly completed a Bachelor of Nursing Science course at UCU, studied at St. Mary’s College, Kisubi for O’level and Kibuli Secondary School for A’level. For his primary Drs. Brian and Judith Taylor, nurse education philanthropists through UCU Partners Husband-wife doctor team plugs nursing gap through partnerships Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery By Patty Huston-Holm (This article was edited from the March 2022 published version) Given the choice between having a doctor or nurse at your bedside, pick a nurse. Brian and Judith Taylor, a recently retired husband-and-wife physician team in Uniontown, Pennsylvania., USA, humbly make that recommendation. The world’s need for nurses is critical. The World Health Organization in 2020 reported 28 million nurses make up 59% of the world’s health care workers. There are about two for every doctor. At that, WHO says there is a 5.9 million nursing shortfall. The demand is even greater in developing countries. For close to two decades, the Taylors have been doing what they can to help plug the nursing gap in one of those countries – Uganda. They have funneled their contributions through the Pennsylvania-based non-profit, Uganda Christian University (UCU) Partners, which, among other roles, provides UCU nursing scholarships. Brian and Judith Taylor’s story is one that Fact UCU has 11 faculties/ schools in the areas of theology, journalism, education, law, social science, medicine, dentistry, agriculture, business, engineering/IT and health/nursing. education, Kutesa attended Nkumba Primary School. All four schools are in central Uganda. When his father lost his job and was no longer able to meet the tuition requirements of his children, Kutesa left home to seek a livelihood elsewhere. He reasoned that it was not wise for him to stay home, to compete for the little resources that his father and mother – Florence Nakalema – came across. Kutesa relocated to Kampala, where he was employed as a security guard. “Although the payment was low, I was determined to work and establish myself,’’ he said. In order to start earning sh150,000 (about $40) a month, Kutesa was trained under harsh conditions. The trainees were entitled to only one meal a day. Kutesa finished the learning with good performance. He was relocated from Kampala to Masaka, a district in central Uganda. In Masaka, Kutesa mostly guarded banks. Around the Christmas season of 2014, he Now that he has completed his internship, Kutesa hopes to pursue a post-graduate course so he can specialise in nursing education or midwifery. As he heads to the hospital wards as his new work station, Kutesa is fully aware that he needs to be strong enough to tolerate anything and soft enough to understand every patient he will work on. was moved from the bank to guard a depot of the soft drink manufacturer – Coca-Cola. During the Christmas festivities, the demand for soda usually goes up, and many of the areas are undersupplied. Thieves are aware of the supply and demand situation, and, on the eve of the 2014 Christmas Day, they attacked the depot that Kutesa was guarding. In the battle with five thieves, he was forced to shoot, leaving two dead. Three others fled on a bodaboda. That incident traumatized Kutesa to the point that his workplace had to relocate him to another station in a neighbouring district. There, his monthly salary increased to sh200,000 (about $56). However, due to tough working conditions and trauma from taking lives, Kutesa did not last at his new station, later switching to teaching in a primary school although he did not have the official credentials. In 2016, Kutesa reunited with his father, whom he had not seen since he left home in 2009. The financial situation at home had changed for the better. Nsubuga beseeched Kutesa to return to school – and said that he was ready to meet the tuition requirements. After consultations, Kutesa found himself applying for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UCU. He wanted to be in a career that gave people better lives, instead of taking them. While out of school for seven years, that did not reflect in the performance of Kutesa. There is no UCU semester where his GPA was below 4.0 of 5.0. He says pursuing his course at UCU made it easy for him to get internship placements since the institution is highly respected. has influenced countless UCU nursing student stories. The two doctors shared some of what led them to appreciate and understand the need for nurses and why they champion UCU nursing education. Kutesa (behind) sharing a light moment with his classmates during their internship at Mukono General hospital What next for Kutesa? “Too many times, doctors from economically poor countries go to wealthier countries to make more money,” said Brian, who first visited UCU in 2005. “Nurses stay behind and care for families, friends and neighbors to the very end.” Judith, who, five years ago, concluded her medical career of decades in oncology and hospice care, has first-hand knowledge of the impact nurses have at the end-oflife stage. Nurses “are keen observers and listeners,” acting as a bridge between the patient and the doctor, she said. “Most of the time, 70 percent of a diagnosis can come from asking good questions, 25 percent from an exam, 5 percent with a technical test,” according to Judith, who worked as a nurse’s aide in the early part of her career. “This applies especially in the developing world, where there is limited access to technology.” A native of England, Judith is now a volunteer with an interfaith organization, mostly taking patients to appointments. Brian started out as a computer scientist, but shifted to general medical practice. Following retirement as a general practitioner, he taught anatomy and physiology to nursing students for three years. “At UCU and through Partners, I saw a critical need and a good organization to help a quality university meet that need,” “We spent a lot of time listening before teaching,” Brian said. With listening comes understanding, according to Judith who, along with Brian, quickly realized that many people in huts with dirt floors and limited sanitation believed in witchcraft and took advice from unqualified tribal “healers.” In some villages, Judith recalled, there was a practice of putting pig feces on umbilical cords with a belief this prevents infections. At the same time, she observed one young man with no formalized health credentials correctly identify someone with leprosy and, as a nurse would, “stay at the leper’s side until he got the care he needed.” Their role was one of gently dispelling myths while teaching healthcare and wellness and sharing the word of Christ. In their work, the Taylors incorporate evangelism. “It’s hard for physicians to think that prayer is the first thing to do,” Judith said. “They often think it’s the last thing, but prayer should be first, last and ongoing.” For the Taylors, as Judith concluded, helping future nurses fill the health care gap in Uganda is simply a continuance of “putting the talents and blessings God gave us to work.” . Brian recalled of his visit to Uganda 17 years ago. “The Christian focus aligns with our faith-based beliefs. And the wonderful notes from the nursing students let us know how much they appreciate us.” Practicing medicine in disadvantaged countries is not foreign to the Taylors. In their 46-year marriage, the couple has provided health care services both in the United States and abroad. Through church and other Christian groups, they have felt a calling to lend their medical expertise in Bolivia, Honduras and Myanmar. Both on their own and through the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS), the Taylors spent most of their out-of-country time in Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in southeast Asia. In their six years of visits to Myanmar (also known as Burma), they built friendships and provided health educational services. 70% “Most of the time, 70 percent of a diagnosis can come from asking good questions, 25 percent from an exam, 5 percent with a technical test,” according to Judith Taylor, who worked as a nurse’s aide in the early part of her career.
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