Expanding the Capabilities of a Masters in Nursing Program
Posted on Thursday, 25 June 2015
Volunteer Name: Dr. Salimah Meghani
Location: Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKU-SONAM), Karachi, Pakistan
Task: Examined student theses on the day of their thesis defense, while providing guidance to faculty on changes being made to the Masters in Nursing Program.
Impact Made:
- Examined seven students who successfully submitted the required documentation for Thesis Defense to the Board of Graduate Studies
- Reviewed specialty track reporting for nine areas of education
- Developed three lectures for faculty, residents and students
- Counseled several faculty and students regarding their careers
FULL STORY
The two year Masters in Nursing program at AKU-SONAM is the first of its kind in Pakistan. It is a thesis-based program with no specialty. However, over the years, the need to introduce a specialty track became necessary to address the needs of the profession.
Thesis defense is one of the most important forms of training within the program. Every year, around ten students undergo the process of defense training because they require research as a competency for their profession. The process requires an External Examiner to review student theses and examine them on the day of their thesis defense.
Dr. Salimah Meghani was selected as the External Examiner for 2011 through the Time and Knowledge Nazrana (TKN) initiative. Salimah was an excellent fit because she herself was conferred with a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MScN) degree by AKU-SONAM in 1997. She went on to earn her MScN in Adult Acute Care, Masters in Biomedical Ethics, and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. She also completed postdoctoral training at the Center for Health Disparities Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing in 2007. Currently, she is working as an Assistant Professor in the Bio-behavioral and Health Sciences department at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing. As a result of Salimah’s contribution as a TKN volunteer, the thesis defense took place successfully with the submission of the required documentation to the Board of Graduate Studies. Additionally, Salimah reviewed the specialty track report for Critical Care, Oncology, Nursing Education, Emergency, Cardiology, Advanced Maternity, Leadership and Management, Community/Public Health and Medical/Surgical. She made valuable recommendations based on her own extensive education and experience.
In the area of faculty development, Salimah delivered guest lectures on ‘Concepts in Sampling’, ‘Power Analysis’ and ‘Concepts in Measurement’ to the faculty, residents and medical and nursing students. She also counseled several faculty and students regarding their careers. Salimah’s significant contribution to AKU-SONAM and her commitment to advancing the nursing profession made an immense impact on the students and faculty.