Belinda Chideme

UCT's Department of Paediatrics and Child Health’s clinical Masters in Nursing (Child Nursing) is a first for Africa. When the first group of nurses graduates in 2017, they will be carving out new career pathways in the health system as  the first generation of advanced paediatric nurse practitioners at UCT.  Fittingly, Belinda Chideme, a visiting clinical lecturer from the United Kingdom’s St. George's University Hospital of the National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, is as much a pioneer as the nurses she is teaching.

Belinda has developed specialist clinical knowledge over many years, and the purpose of her visit was to share this with the students. During her visit, students explored various topics including ethical dilemmas about the treatment of very sick children. In tertiary care settings, especially, the psychological and emotional demands on families and staff can make decision making complex.

“In palliative care, where do you draw the line? I’ve advised in situations where parents want treatment to stop, but clinicians think treatment should continue. Part of my job is to assess with an intention of ensuring that everyone involved remains focused on keeping the best interests of the child paramount, ” says Belinda.

Belinda’s own career developed through a variety of roles within the UK NHS. Initially training as a paediatric nurse at a major London teaching hospital, Belinda gained experience in paediatric critical care, haematology, oncology and community nursing. It was while working as a community paediatric nurse that her interest in safeguarding was awakened.

Safeguarding is defined in the UK as ‘action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm’. Whilst every health professional has a duty to protect children and young people, Belinda works as a Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and Young People within a large NHS Trust.  Although predominantly a strategic role, it is hands-on, as there is need to have oversight of, and take a lead role in, all safeguarding children matters that come through the hospital.

Having seen something of the South African health care system during her visit Belinda sees a place for her type of advanced specialist nursing role here and is full of hope for the future of these pioneering nurses. “They all have the ideas, they all have the passion. They know what needs to be done and they can work out how to make it happen. Ten years from now a new generation will come in, and the walls will have been broken down for them. But it’s about what you can do with what you have.”

Belinda’s visit was made possible by a travel grant from the Burdett Trust for Nurses.