We are proud to announce that the Child Nurse Practice Development Initiative (CNPDI) has been recognised as meeting the scale, scope and quality of work required to be recognised as a Teaching and Scholarship Unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences (UCT) based in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. This means that we will now be known as The Harry Crossley Children’s Nursing Development Unit (CNDU).

Established in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2008, this transition recognises more than a decade of growth and success, which includes:

• The graduation of more than 325 nurses from UCT Post-Graduate Diploma programmes in Child Nursing & Critical Care Child Nursing and 15 as Advanced Practice Nurses from the Master of Nursing in Child Nursing Programme – with students coming to us from across Southern and Eastern Africa, and programmes achieving a combined graduation rate of 86%.
• The design and delivery of contextually relevant educational programmes, course materials and models of practice.
• The development of 8 international partnerships with 7 countries (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) to build regional capacity for workforce education.
• An active contribution to research and development, with 24 peer-reviewed articles published.
• The launch of an international Child Nurse Educator Forum, a now biennial international nursing conference, numerous inter-sectoral colloquia, fora to support the development of children’s nurse training and clinical practice in Africa.

Recognised by the Burdett Trust for Nursing ‘Global Health Impact Award’ in 2018, we are part of a small community of organisations building children’s nursing for Africa, in Africa. Expanding our reach through new models of teaching and learning, our priority is to build research, clinical and nurse leadership capacity for the future. This will see us develop, document and report on new pedagogical approaches, capacity building tools and models of best practice - as well as building our knowledge of and continuing to be an active voice for, children’s nursing development across the continent.

“A colleague in Malawi told me a number of years ago that ‘It takes a village to raise a roof’. The establishment of this unit marks a real milestone, one that we could only have reached together. I am grateful for so many who have seen with us the possibilities of building Children’s Nursing. Many have come alongside with advice and ideas, others have added drive and found funding and scholarships. We have certainly learned about stewarding resources and found different ways of doing and thinking and building communities of practice and communities of friends. I know that we will continue to learn and contribute together as we maintain our focus on what works in local practice and building the scholarship.” Minette Coetzee, Director

Finally, we would like to recognise the catalytic long-term contribution of The Harry Crossley Foundation. Without their support of the original programme and unwavering commitment since, we would not be at this point of where we are today. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity this new phase of our partnership provides, and look forward to our future as The Harry Crossley Children’s Nursing Development Unit.

*With thanks to the University of Cape Town, the ELMA Foundation, the Vitol Foundation, the Children's Hospital Trust, and the Burdett Trust for Nursing. We would not be where we are today, without the support of organisations such as yourselves.