Aika: Nursing needs both art, science sides

Dar es Salaam. Aika Albert Mongi is the director of Nursing with Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHS,T). She has 18 years of experience working across different clinical hospital settings.

She is passionate about merging the art and science aspects of nursing that enable nurses to perform their responsibilities well in delivering healthcare.

Her current roles include supporting nurses to develop professionally, ethically and careerwise, particularly, within the AKHS,T. This year’s theme on the International Women’s Day: ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’ reminds her how nursing has transformed through the years, with women playing an important part in that transformation.

Aika narrates the key role played by English social worker Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who is the founder of modern nursing.

She says, nurses all over the world look at Florence’s boldness with admiration.

Aika says her career journey started when she wanted to model on her father, a pastor, in dedicating her life to service to fellow human beings.

To reach this goal, nursing came to her mind, and she says it is what she thought could give her the chance to do something from the heart.

Growing up she knew science was her area from her high school years. Later, joining nursing was her way of enhancing her passion in science, particularly in the medical field.

She says she enjoyed most the practical side as well as spending time with patients.

“I did my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Southern Queensland and my Master’s in Health Service Management from Monash University, Australia. In my nursing training, I focused on critical care, this is nursing in Intensive Care Unit. I felt like I need to serve more patients in the ICU during their critical moments,” says Aika.

Talking on mentorship, she says she believes this has a huge role in strengthening the profession not only within the hospital but in the holistic set-up in communities through education, staff to staff support, and other appropriate means.

Asked on the dominace of women in the field of nursing, Aika admits that it is true that there are more women in the field compared to men, but the profession is for all.

She challenges more males to join the field so as to contribute to healthcare in society.

Aika explains that in undergoing nursing specialisation, the curriculum directs one to start with general nursing before branching out to midwifery and other areas. “I believe nursing is predominantly female because even the founder was female. Times are changing, we are seeing more male nurses joining. Talking about my team at Aga Khan, I have very strong team of middle management male nurses. They are keen and they are good nurses. So, we are moving towards that in the near future,” says Aika.

Commenting on how women can be able to grow their leadership, she says: “They must believe in hard work, believe in themselves, and I would advise young women aspiring to be leaders to combine hard work, smartness and self-confidence and negotiate what they really deserve,” says Aika.

Remarking about her leadership style, she says, hers is more participatory, saying she is compassionate towards those she leads. She says it is difficult to not be compassionate when one is in the nursing profession, because that is the basis of profession.

However, there are times when she has to be strict to ensure that things go as planned and agenda enhanced.

Commenting on her challenges at work, she says re-orientating herself and working in Tanzania after working in abroad was one of the challenges.

She further says, climbing up her ladder to top positions has been the self-doubt that she had for herself and her performance but mentorship helped her go through all this.

Speaking more on self-doubt and who she calls first when facing challenges, she says a few years back she would call her father as their mother died when they were young girls. So, her father played both roles strongly. But, after he passed away, she now calls her sisters. It is a family of five sisters.

She also calls her mentors and people in her field. She discloses that she is lucky to have a strong CEO in their organiation who also guides them.

Explaining her possible career journey in ten years to come, she says: “I would like to see the science and art sides of nursing working in tandem”.

The science aspect is more about the human body knowledge while that of art has the empathy, caring and the compassionate roles.

“I hope ten years from now nurses to be smarter, science oriented and use more science oriented factors and take themselves as professionals to eradicate the challenges we see everyday,” she adds.