Volunteer faculty needed

Since the global COVID risk has been down-graded, we are now recruiting visiting faculty volunteers once again. Prof. Dr. Abdur Rab, IUBAT Vice Chancellor writes, "I am very pleased to know that you are recruiting volunteer teachers for IUBAT nursing college. We will be very happy to welcome such teachers. In addition, we are also looking for teachers from abroad for other IUBAT programs who can teach online." Visiting faculty at IUBAT College of Nursing will support local instructors in classroom and clinical practice settings. Volunteers are responsible for their own travel costs with Canadian charitable donation receipts available. Comfortable accommodation near the campus will be provided by the university. Basic information is available on the BHP website. Please contact us for more details.

IUBAT faculty tackle big issues

IUBAT faculty, Shuvashish Das Bala, Ishraq Rahman and Priyanka Das Sharmi recently co-published a paper entitled “How Inadequacies in the Nursing Field Deteriorate the Quality of Health Care in a Developing Nation” The authors list various institutional causes of dissatisfaction such as lack of developed organizational structures, weak leadership, staff shortages and lack of professional development opportunities. This workplace dissatisfaction negatively affects the quality of health care. They recommend improving quality of care by focusing on Therapeutic Communication, Infection Prevention and Control, Mental Health Support and Standard Operating Procedures. Referring to negative social attitudes, they write, “Stigma against nurses can be addressed by promoting the profession through a nationwide campaign. The campaign may highlight the benefits and the long-term career rewards of the profession. If the campaign is regulated from the government level with an emphasis on the reformed policies which will ensure higher job satisfaction for nurses, then surely a lot more people will be willing to take up nursing as a profession.”

Authors' illustration

“I had never imagined such an opportunity”

IUBAT College of Nursing alumnus, ARIFUL HAQUE (Tutul) writes, “I enrolled at IUBAT in 2008, January. At the beginning, it was not easy for me to learn new subjects, absorb a new environment and always speak English on the campus. I had never done anything like this before. Each semester was very challenging but I followed the advice I received - study regularly, work hard but maintain a balanced life, never plagiarize, be adaptable and patient.

“After completing my BSN, I joined the midwifery program at BRAC University as a course coordinator and faculty member. This was my first job so I felt very proud because I had never imagined such an opportunity and it really helped me to move forward. After two years, I re-joined IUBAT as a lecturer and clinical supervisor for Anatomy, Basic Nursing and Medical Surgical Nursing.

“In 2016, I joined the government sector as a senior nurse, spending almost six years at the country’s leading institute, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. I worked in the emergency ward, operating theaters, surgical wards and administration. Looking after very sick patients, I realized that my IUBAT experience had taught me to provide a high standard of care to every patient, to protect my patients’ privacy and to be kind and helpful to all. These values helped me to develop a good reputation in my work place.

“In addition to my clinical work, I wanted some research activity. So far, colleagues and I have published three research-based articles on self-administration of antibiotics without prescription and use of telehealth services by Bangladeshis.

“After overcoming several hurdles, I came to Kuwait in 2023 to join Jaber Al-Ahmed hospital as an RN. With no previous life outside Bangladesh, it was once again challenging to work with people from different backgrounds, language and culture. Now, however, I feel that I have settled in quite quickly because of my previous experience at IUBAT.

“In the future, I hope to qualify as an RN in Europe, UK or USA or to achieve my MSN and PhD from a developed country. Ten years from now, I would like to be working as a clinical specialist in emergency and surgical nursing, continuing my research work and ultimately, perhaps, working as a nurse manager or a professor in a nursing college.”