Pakistan’s First Ph.D in Nursing – The Agha Khan University, Karachi took its first step in 2015 to expand its nursing program by adding a Ph.D. opportunity to the nursing education first ever in any medical university in Pakistan.
Dr. Khairulnissa Ajani was the first candidate to enroll in this new Ph.D Nursing Program and later on she became the first recipient of the school’s Ph.D. Nursing degree.
Her research focused on hypertension, which affects a staggering one in three adults in Pakistan.
As the assistant dean of teaching, learning and undergraduate programs at AKU SONAM, Dr. Ajani has been instrumental in furthering and advancing the nursing education in Pakistan.
With the addition of a Ph.D. Nursing Program, AKU SONAM is leading the way in nursing research and education in the country.
Dr. Ajani’s groundbreaking work is a testament to this commitment and will undoubtedly inspire other nurses to pursue excellence in their field.
She found that following poor physical activity and a high blood pressure-friendly diet is common in people with high blood pressure.
Mainly in women who usually take more care of their families and ignore themselves.
She took her research on board and emphases family support to take care of their patient. Her thoughts are;
“Developing family support is key to enhancing patients’ health,” Dr. Ajani said. “Healthcare providers have to develop practices that raise awareness in patients and their families.”
Further, she also found the role of nurses is pivotal to empowering patients in making lifestyle changes.
Nurses can develop a positive relationship with their patients and guide them in the core understanding of their self-care requirements.
It is essential to highlight that before SONAM launched nursing bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs, nurses were limited to some nursing diplomas, which restricted their employment.
It emphasized the need for professionals to move from traditional health education strategies designed for the general public to more personalized guidelines.
Khairulnissa Anjani is our proud story, who became the first person to graduate with a Ph.D. from Agha Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.
She has made an excellent contribution to knowledge by producing evidence on how best to support people with hypertension in Pakistan.
Now, she is a part of AKU SONAM as a nursing trainer and teacher and is pleased with it.
She aims to produce more graduate nurses in Pakistan so that they can serve the nation as skilled and acknowledged nurses.
Her students take her as a role model and discuss nursing fundamentals with her. She guides them skillfully.
SONAM Dean Professor Rozina Karamaliani said, “We are all so proud of Ms. Ajani, whose personal journey from a practicing nurse to a scholar in her field corresponds with the progress that the profession has made as a whole in Pakistan.”
“Nursing in Pakistan can only be improved when nursing professionals can undertake and contribute to locally relevant, evidence-based research through their masters and Ph.D. studies,” said SONAM Dean.
It is important to have nurses dedicated to research so they can improve patient outcomes, which will lead to better health for the people of Pakistan.
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