Volunteer Faculty Discusses her Unique Role with Project

A recent volunteer, Roslyn Coltheart, answered some questions to allow us to share her experiences as a visitor to Bangladesh and a staff mentor at IUBAT.  Roslyn held a unique volunteer position as she was not an instructor to the nursing students, but rather, a mentor to new permanent faculty at IUBAT.  She is pictured above with faculty members and students at the 71st orientation program for new students (“Fresher”), for spring semester.  In the picture from left to right: Faisal (nursing student), Roslyn, Tutal (IUBAT graduate and now faculty), Khadizia (IUBAT faculty, graduate of armed forces medical college and the first non-IUBAT trained staff), Tahamina (IUBAT graduate and now faculty), Tithi (nursing student), Shoykit (nursing student), Shuvashish (IUBAT graduate and now faculty), and Elma (nursing student).

What were your roles/responsibilities in Bangladesh and when did you become involved with the Bangladesh Health Project?

“I first came across the Bangladesh Health Project in 2013, when I read an article in the American Journal of Nursing. At the time, I had just moved from Australia to Canada but filed the information away for future reference. In early 2015, I applied to volunteer with the Project. Initially hopeful to be there for the September to December 2015 semester, I had to delay due to Canadian immigration difficulties and arrived January 7th 2016, staying until April 16 2016, during spring semester. 

At this time in the Project, six IUBAT graduates had been hired as teachers and I was the first volunteer to join the project, not as a teacher myself but as a mentor for these young teachers. My roles and responsibilities were very autonomous and self directed. My main focus was not to teach, but to help guide the teachers to develop their confidence, teaching styles, assignment setting, exam marking etc. I would sit with teachers before class and help them prepare, join classes and give support, answer questions, join in discussions, read assignments and give feedback on marking. I also accompanied teachers and students to attend clinical placements and updated some old lectures. 

As I was not directly responsible for classes each week, I had more flexibility to travel some parts of Bangladesh whilst there.”

What/where is your current position/role (i.e. are you a practicing nurse, writing/teaching full time?)?

I am an Australian registered nurse and have now been living and working in Canada for 3 years. I graduated in 2004 and have predominantly worked in Emergency in that time frame. I am currently registered in BC and working in Emergency.

Can you share your overall impressions of Bangladesh and your experiences with the Project?

“I had a truly great experience in Bangladesh, I can’t believe the availability of so many different foods! I’m very happy I came across the Project and was able to experience it. I am also happy I came across it in the stage that it was at: during the transition of the graduates into lecturers, rather than as a teacher myself. I found the role interesting, challenging, stimulating and worthwhile, although I had a few challenges along the way! All of the teachers said I made a difference, but a mentee faculty member probably gave me the greatest insight into this when he said something along the lines of, “You may not realize the difference you have made, but we know.” It was also interesting to hear the students talk at the end about things they had learned from having me there – a few off the cuff remarks I made seemed to have made an impact! I have encouraged them all to keep in contact and they are aware I’m happy to help over email when and if they need it.”

Thank you for sharing your insight during a pivotal time during the Project’s development, Roslyn, and it is without doubt that your assistance and guidance has helped strengthen the foundation and shaped the growth of the nursing program at IUBAT.  We’re sure the students and faculty alike can wholeheartedly agree that your influence has been positive and beneficial for the future direction of the Bangladesh Health Project!

IUBAT Graduate Overcomes Barriers for Dream Career

One of our alumni, Firoza, recently wrote to us to describe how her lifelong dream of being a nurse came to fruition.  Firoza has wanted a career in nursing from a very young age, and she recalls her journey to get to IUBAT.  

She writes, “Even from early childhood, I wanted to be independent.  A female neighbour, who was a primary school teacher, helped me believe that this was an achievable goal for me.  Also, as a fourth grade student, I read a storybook about a nurse that piqued my interest in the field.  My first attempt to get into nursing college was not successful, but I did not lose hope, I still believed that I would be an RN one day.  I completed a three-year paramedic course and got a job as a ward clerk at Sajida Hospital in South Dhaka.  While working at the hospital, my dream of being a nurse became stronger, but I knew that my family could not afford to pay the tuition through nursing school.  During my time at the hospital, I met Bimala Rai, a graduate of IUBAT and the chief nurse, who encouraged me to complete a BSN at IUBAT with bursary support from Bangladesh Health Project donations.  It was then that I was introduced to Dr. Karen Lund.  Both of them helped me gain bursary support in order to enroll in IUBAT’s BSN program.

I cannot explain how much happy I was when I got chance to enroll in the BSN course at IUBAT.  IUBAT is an English medium-university and students are taught by local faculty and international visiting volunteers.  Students from other departments informed me that IUBAT’s college of nursing followed a strict method of instruction, and in order to pass the program, one would have to dedicate a lot of hard work into their studies.  I was not deterred because I know that a journey of thousand miles starts with a single step.  English doesn’t come naturally for me, as I have only ever spoken Bangla, but I studied hard and I passed the program with a high score.  I was able to achieve this with lots of help from local and foreign faculty, and of course, Dr. Karen Lund.  I could not speak a single English word when I was first admitted to IUBAT, now I can speak English in front of thousand people.  I am very thankful to Dr. Karen Lund and other faculty members who always supported and encouraged me to study in nursing and helped me become competent enough to work in any corner in the world.

Now, since January 2nd, 2016, I have worked at Sajida Hospital, Narayanganj, as a Nursing Supervisor (Quality Improvement).  In this position, I have many responsibilities, such as performing professional supervisory practice in the care of physically ill people, and ensuring quality nursing care offered at the hospital facility.  I am working to improve and maintain the quality of nursing practice, using standard precautions.  I am currently organizing a training program to improve knowledge, identifying and assisting in resolving professional, administrative and supervisory problems in assigned areas. This is a more challenging job for me, but I like this work and the challenge of bringing positive change in nursing care.”

Thank you for this story, Firoza, and congratulations on your new supervisory position.  That is a remarkable achievement!  We hope that your career as a nurse is filled with many more successes, and perhaps one day, you may mentor someone contemplating nursing and help a young nurse-hopeful towards the program.

Nursing Faculty Hired

Alex Berland writes, “In late November, I visited IUBAT to meet with Dr. ASA Masud, Coordinator of the College of Nursing. I also met with the five IUBAT BSN graduates working in the College of Nursing, Shuvashish Das Bala, Mohammad Ali (Kiron), Tahamina Chowdhury, Md. Shahedul Chowdhury and Ariful Haque Tutul (L to R in photo). We had a round-table discussion about their initial experiences as educators. I explained that international faculty volunteers would continue to support the IUBAT College of Nursing, with the first expected in January 2016. Visiting faculty will mentor the IUBAT faculty, especially with clinical supervision of students. During that visit, I also interviewed a sixth candidate, a top student from the prestigious military nursing college. She has since been hired as the latest faculty member at the College of Nursing.”