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22 July 2020 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied
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

UFS enhances Geography in schools
2015-05-11

The Green Box

The Department of Geography at the University of the Free State (UFS), in association with the Society of South African Geographers (SSAG), is doing their part in providing curriculum support to schools. Dr Ruth Massey and Anneri Pretorius are the project managers of Green Box, an initiative to advance Geography in schools.

The Green Box supports the intermediate phase of schooling (Grades 4, 5, 6). According to Dr Massey, the worksheets and activities provided in the Green Box are aligned with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) and the new curriculum. “These worksheets are divided into three themes: map work, physical Geography, and human Geography.

“Map work includes symbols and keys, grid references, and compass work whilst physical Geography focuses on water and waste, biodiversity and conservation, and weather and climate issues. The human Geography theme has a focus on population, rural and urban development, migration, food and farming, and transport and trade,” she said.

Each worksheet has a fact sheet section which teaches theory on the specific topic (linked to the curriculum), an activity section (all resources needed for these activities are provided in the box), and a ‘take it home’ section for further learning and practice at home.

The Green Box is a recycled plastic crate that comprises worksheets, training materials, visual aids, and resources for teaching, learning, and active engagement in Geography classes.

Also included in the box are a felt story board and characters (that link with the worksheet activities), the ‘Climate Change memory game’ (which enhances learner’s memory capabilities and teaches various climate change facts) and the ‘Sustainable Development puzzle game’ (which teaches about the social, biophysical, economic, and political elements of Sustainable Development, and how they overlap).

“All items in the box are locally sourced, robust, and without copyright,” said Dr Massey.

The project is focusing on 10 under-resourced schools in the Bloemfontein area. Each school has received three boxes (one for each grade of the Intermediate Phase).

Dr Massey said: “This box is to be shared among the teachers. The Green Boxes were distributed at a training and information workshop held at three central schools in the various districts. These workshops introduced the teachers to the contents of their box, and provided basic training on the worksheets and the activities provided.”

“The schools will be joined up with ‘Box Buddies’ at more resourced schools in Bloemfontein. These buddy schools will assist in support and in replenishing the box’s stationery, etc. when needed.”

“Monitoring and evaluation will take place for six months after the boxes have been distributed. This will ensure support to, and the sustainability of, the project.” The Green Box project was made possible through a grant from the Society of South African Geographers (SSAG).

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