Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS lecturer only third African and first from UFS to win international nursing award

22 July 2020 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied

Dr Nyoni_read more — Dr Champion N Nyoni.

As yet another testament to the great work being done, as well as the dedication, passion, and hard work of staff members in the School of Nursing at the University of the Free State (UFS), a senior lecturer became the first UFS staff member to win the prestigious Sigma Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar award – making him only the third African to win this award.

“I was overwhelmed to be honoured with this award as the third African to have won it in the history of the awards. To me, this is an indication that the quality of our work in the School of Nursing is top-notch and meets international standards, and that our contribution to nursing science and nursing education is outstanding,” says a proud Dr Champion N. Nyoni on his latest achievement.

Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma) is a global honour society for nurses that recognises and advances nursing through research and scholarship. Membership for this society includes a minimum of a master’s qualification and nomination from current members based on your contribution and the potential thereof for nursing at a national and global scale.

The Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar Award, with the purpose of recognising nurses whose research and scholarship has impacted the profession and the people it serves, was introduced in 2015.

No easy process

It is quite a rigorous process to become eligible for the award, explains Dr Nyoni. “One is nominated by peers who are also part of Sigma; these peers must motivate their nomination by providing evidence related to the research and scholarship of the nominee.”

“In addition to the numerous reference reports from colleagues in the discipline of nursing, additional referrals are sought from colleagues in other professions (in the health sciences) who have worked and engaged with the research of the nominee. This application process is then evaluated for consideration, among others, by a global panel. I never thought that I would win this award, given the nature of the nomination process, and the heavy funding that other nurse researchers globally receive in comparison to Africa,” says Dr Nyoni.

According to a passionate Dr Nyoni, the award will also give him the energy to continue an academic track, especially in nursing and nursing education, with a focus on improving the quality of nursing education, the quality of nursing graduates, impacting the nursing workforce and thereby influencing the quality of health indicators, especially in Africa, where health systems are nurse-driven.

Dr Nyoni is appreciative of the nurturing environment and brilliant colleagues in the School of Nursing, who are supporting his research career.

Quality nursing education

"We need quality nurses for quality nursing care, and this should be done through quality nursing education. I hope to use this award as part of a motivation strategy for young nurses to be engaged in scholarship and in academia, as there is a great need, especially in sub-Saharan Africa,” concludes Dr Nyoni.

When he was nominated, Dr Nyoni had close to 15 publications in nursing education and close to 40 presentations at local and international conferences. He also had several awards for his research work, including the Best Education Paper: Senior Category at the Faculty of Health Science’s Research Forum in 2019.

Dr Nyoni is currently a postdoctoral fellow (the first) in the UFS School of Nursing and serves as chairperson on several boards of directors relating to health professions education in the African region, namely AfrIPEN and SAFRI. He is also supervising several master’s and PhD students.

• This award will be presented on Thursday at the International Nursing Research Congress that is now taking place online due to COVID-19.

News Archive

Ensure your place at the UFS

2010-10-27

The University of the Free State (UFS) appeals to all prospective South African students who want to come and study at the UFS in 2011 to submit their applications no later than Tuesday, 30 November 2010.

The UFS is aware of the fact that learners will not have received their final Grade 12 results by Tuesday, 30 November 2010; therefore provisional admission will be granted based on learners’ most recent Grade 12 results. Final admission will take place upon receipt of the final Grade 12 results, which will be available early in January 2011.

Prospective students can obtain application forms for admission at the following places:

The UFS’s web site at www.ufs.ac.za,
The Information Office (Unit for Prospective Students) at the Thakaneng Bridge on the UFS’s Main Campus in Bloemfontein,
You may also send an e-mail to info@ufs.ac.za or
Phone 051 401 3000 and the necessary forms will be posted to you.

Senior undergraduate students (that is all students who were registered up to and during 2010 at the UFS) as well as post-graduate students, must self-register electronically on-line from Monday, 1 November 2010 until Tuesday, 4 January 2011. This includes master’s and doctoral students.

In order to encourage senior students to register online, the UFS offers 20 laptops as incentives for the senior students who successfully register online from 1 November 2010. These laptops will be handed over to the winners after the registration process in 2011.

Registration of first-year students:

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, will welcome first-year students on Friday, 14 January and Saturday, 15 January 2011, respectively, in the Callie Human Centre. The Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, the Humanities and Education will be welcomed on 14 January 2011 and the students of the Faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Law and Theology shall be welcomed on 15 January 2011. The compulsory orientation programme for new first-years will also then commence.

From 17 to 21 January 2011 first-year students will receive academic advice at the Callie Human Centre, whereafter they will be referred for self-registration. These processes will take place according to the set timetable. This timetable is available in the Kovsie Guide that will be sent to learners as soon as we have received their applications, as well as on the web site of the UFS at www.ufs.ac.za/register2011.

First-year students’ fees must be paid prior to arrival on 14 and 15 January 2011.

Registration of senior students:

Senior students who experience problems with the electronic on-line self-registration process have the opportunity to resolve problems within a programme on campus from Wednesday, 5 January until Wednesday, 12 January 2011. This programme will be sent out to students and is also available at www.ufs.ac.za/register2011. The specific scheduled day for senior students to resolve problems is the last and only day to resolve the problem.

Senior students can also contact 051 401 9111 for more information in this regard.

Students may register for prescribed modules for 2011, even though the November 2010 examination results are not yet available. Changes resulting from examination results that are made available later can be done up to and including 28 January 2011.

In terms of applications for senior students, only students who have interrupted a calendar year of study need to re-apply for admission.

Registration of students at the UFS’s Qwaqwa Campus:

Senior and first-year students of the UFS’s Qwaqwa Campus register from Wednesday, 12 January until Friday, 28 January 2011 in the Nelson Mandela Hall on this campus.

Registration of students at the UFS South Campus:

First-year students from the UFS’s South Campus in the University Preparation Programme and the Extended Programme (only Natural and Agricultural Sciences) register from Monday, 24 January till Friday, 28 January 2011 in the Arena Hall on the South Campus.

Students who have successfully completed the University Preparation Programme register with the first-year students on the UFS Main Campus on Friday, 14 and Saturday, 15 January 2011 – according to faculties (cf. paragraph 6).

Lectures for all students shall commence on Monday, 24 January 2011.

MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
26 October 2010

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept