She, only the second African nurse to be put on International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame
………………………………………………….
By Sibongiseni Delihlazo
Former head of Medical Research Council (MRC), Dr Bongani Mayosi, used to be very vocal about his disappointment at how academics in the field of health research in the country (doctors and nurses) are not doing justice to the field by not finding time to write and publish their wonderful research studies and findings and share those with the rest of the world. A country is measured by how much it contributes to the world’s research work.
As a result, he would say, South Africa is nowhere near the rest of other countries who take the trouble to write and publish their studies in relevant health journals, in percentage terms. As a result, SA has earned itself the label ‘sleeping country’.
While participants in the field of health research are still few and far between compared to many countries, Professor Mayosi must be smiling at last to learn that one of South Africa’s own stars and leaders in academic health research will soon become the second candidate in Africa to be inducted in the prestigious International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame under the auspices of Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing (STTI).
And she is South Africa’s pride in the field of nurse research. Professor Laetitia Rispel says while there are too many barriers for nurses to pursue research in their field of work, the latest developments such as the government’s undertaking to commit both human and financial resources to invest research is something to be proud of.
She feels that research is still viewed by many as rather a luxury as opposed to an essential to good nursing education and practice, as the most popular perception is that nurses should look after patients and no further than that.
She will be officially inducted to the Hall of Fame in July in Prague. Nursing Update had the pleasure of talking to Professor Rispel, who currently heads the School of Public Health at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), about this latest achievement and to get her valuable insight on the future of health research in the continent and in the country as a great solution to the provision of quality health care to the general population.
For more info on this interview, read the March issue of Nursing Update…
