Determined to close the skill gap noticed among Nigerian nurses in the area of diabetes management, Roche Diabetes Care, has commenced an online course for nurses to help address the knowledge gaps.
Known as Nurses on Diabetes, an online course that is geared at overcoming barriers to healthcare education to bolster healthcare’s first line of defence.
The course goes beyond clinical education to incorporating coaching elements that promote a holistic approach to diabetes management.
Currently operational in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and India, the Nurses on Diabetes programme embodies the Roche commitment to empower nurses.
According to Roche, upskilling nurses will be instrumental in addressing widespread barriers to care. These nurses connect with local communities and empower them through education, potentially yielding significant societal and health-economic benefits.
Dorcas Daniel Kajang, assistant chief nursing officer at Federal Medical Centre Abuja, said, the Nurses on Diabetes course has expanded her knowledge and strengthened her understanding of the recent studies carried out on Diabetes.
According to her, the diabetes training has allowed her to relearn, and unlearn and has equipped her to deliver high-quality nursing services that meet international best practices regarding caring for clients with diabetes.
Also speaking on the impact of the online course, Nwankwo Joy Chioma, assistant director of Nursing Service at Federal Medical Center Abuja, said nurses who have participated in the programme have acquired valuable skills and knowledge regarding managing diabetic patients.
Chioma said nurses are taught to easily observe the signs and symptoms of diabetes in patients who access care in their facilities especially those working in the emergency unit, medical and surgical wards.
“Nurses can now efficiently study and analyse patients’ laboratory results and categorise patients according to the stage of the disease. The knowledge acquired from the course has also enabled the nurses to engage in meaningful discussions with other healthcare providers,” she said.
She further said this has translated to making accurate diagnoses and implementing more comprehensive patient treatment plans.
On her part, Susan Snell, area head of IMEA 3, Roche Diabetes Care, said nursing training solutions are for everyone, as they have far-reaching benefits – to patients, the economy, and society at large.
“This complements Roche’s commitment to improving access to care by supporting all aspects of care including education. Notably, concurrently investing in nurse education benefits individual patients that help them understand their diabetes better, bring changes in their behaviour and take charge of their diabetes management,” she said.
Snell urged governments, healthcare organisations, and philanthropic entities, to recognise the importance of investing in nurses by supporting initiatives like Nurses on Diabetes to improve diabetes care across Africa as the world marks International Nurses’ Day.
