The Northern Cape is leading the field nationally as first adopters in supporting the Ministry of Health’s Initiative to establish DCST and the role of Advanced Paediatric Nurses on this team! In 2016 this province was the first to support one of their own, Mr Mmusetsi Mokwatsi, with study leave and support to enroll at UCT for the first Master of Nursing in Child Nursing in South Africa.

Mmusa, as this advanced pioneer nurse is called in the Clinical Masters group, is a real encourager and leader. His leadership is evident not only in day-to-day organization but also in matters of National Health Service policy and context. He has become the group information gatherer and as such encourages creative and constructive responses to current clinical and service issues. He is committed to learning new skills & competencies, clinical and academic but also to active participation in the improvement of day-to-day care of sick children & their families.

During his time at UCT, Mr Mokwatsi will gain additional knowledge and skills in clinical leadership and research, as well as advanced clinical nursing skills. He will work with multidisciplinary teams at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, refining his paediatric care and contributing to these teams with what he brings from his region. He will spend time back home in Kimberley and at the De Aar Model PHC Clinic as the local DCST, to learn from and contribute to assessing service delivery and efficiencies. In 2017 he plans to focus on refining clinical triage and care skills and his command of systems flow around the care of children who present or can become critically ill. All very valuable aspirations aligned with work in, and needs of, the Northern Cape.